Residents at The Arbor at BridgeMill love tending the community’s beautiful garden, which produced a bounty of tomatoes, peppers and a wide variety of flowers this year.
With such a prolific harvest, Engagement Director Janice Kimber came up with an idea: Why not create a scarecrow to preside over the garden?
“We have a group of ladies who enjoy doing crafting, so it seemed like a perfect project for the fall,” she said. Also, a former resident had donated a collection of ruffled, full-length aprons, which would work great for dressing up the scarecrow in a new outfit each season.
Kimber shared her idea with Candace Massey, a volunteer who’s been regularly visiting the residents for the past 2½ years, almost as long as the community has been open.
Massey connected with the community when another Arbor staff member, Kelly Spears, visited Huck’s General Store, a popular tourist attraction in Blue Ridge, Ga., owned by Massey and her husband. While chatting with Massey’s husband, Spears learned that Candace loved seniors and lived near The Arbor at BridgeMill. She’s been volunteering at the community ever since.
Before the pandemic, Massey often brought along her two teen sons, who were a big hit with the residents. The boys would show up in silly hats and assist the residents with their tech gadgets.
With Massey’s volunteer work on hiatus due to the pandemic, Kimber thought the scarecrow would make a good project for her return. Together, they devised a way to work on the craft project safely with the residents: working outdoors, while wearing masks and social distancing. The residents had a ball sewing the skirt, putting buttons on the scarecrow’s shirt and decorating her hat.
Kimber had planned to hold a contest to name the scarecrow, but one resident suggested a name that residents immediately pronounced the winner: Arbor Vita.
So let’s welcome Arbor Vita, the newest resident of The Arbor at BridgeMill!
And let’s give a big thank you to Candace Massey and her family for bringing additional life to our residents through their volunteer efforts.
