Senior Living Blog

(Newington, CT – May 12, 2016) Mildred Gallegos, a resident of Middlewoods of Newington Independent and Assisted Living Community, was recently recognized by the Connecticut Assisted Living Association (CALA) with the Distinguished Resident Accomplishment Award, an award which honors the distinguished service and accomplishments of senior living residents. Gallegos, along with twenty residents from other senior living communities across the state, was nominated to receive this prestigious award because of her extraordinary example of aging and her exceptional contributions to the community.

(Shelton, CT – May 9, 2016) Jim Nies, a resident of Crosby Commons Independent and Assisted Living Community, was recently recognized by the Connecticut Assisted Living Association (CALA) with the Distinguished Resident Accomplishment Award, an award which honors the distinguished service and accomplishments of senior living residents. Nies, along with twenty residents from other senior living communities across the state, was nominated to receive this prestigious award because of his extraordinary example of aging and his exceptional contributions to the community.

Wesley Village honored and recognized their dedicated team of volunteers with a week-long celebration during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16th.

A Prayer Shawl Ceremony was held at Wesley Village on Wednesday, March 30th to bless more than 50 prayer shawls and lap robes that were hand-knit by staff, residents, and volunteers from the campus communities of Crosby Commons, Wesley Heights, Lifestyle Transitions, and Bishop Wicke Health and Rehabilitation Center.

Middlewoods of Newington Independent and Assisted Living Community celebrated their 13th Anniversary with a South Pacific-themed party for residents, family members, and staff on Friday, March 11th.

Shelton, CT (Wednesday, March 9, 2016) – Wesley Village Chef, Hector Velez, was recently recognized for excellence in the 2016 Chef Challenge at the Connecticut Assisted Living Association’s (CALA) 21st Annual Conference and Trade Show. Velez, Chef Manager at Crosby Commons Independent and Assisted Living Community at Wesley Village, won first place for his entrée, “Mofungo with Shrimp,” in the seafood category of the challenge. The annual competition, which featured several of the best chefs in senior living in all of Connecticut, is designed to showcase creativity using a variety of food products. Contestants are judged by a panel of professional chefs on several scoring elements including: organization, sanitation, creativity, culinary technique, portion size, taste, presentation, nutritional balance, utilization of ingredients, and use of allotted time. All competitors received 60 minutes to fabricate, prepare, and cook their dish, with an additional 15 minutes allocated for dish-up and judging. Winners in each category (Beef, Poultry, Seafood) were awarded the “Chopped Award”. The event was held on Thursday, March 3 rd at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Conference Center in Cromwell, CT. Congratulations to Chef Velez and the Crosby Commons community on this fine award! Crosby Commons is located on the Wesley Village Campus and offers award-winning independent and assisted senior living options, along with access to a broad continuum of care. The campus is located at 580 Long Hill Avenue in Shelton and is owned and operated by United Methodist Homes, a local mission-based, not-for- profit organization. To learn more about senior living options at Crosby Commons or Wesley Village, visit www.wesleyvillage-ct.org or contact Lisa Bisson at 203.225.5024. Photo Caption: Chef Manager Hector Velez (center) shows off his award-winning entrée at the CALA 2016 Chef Challenge. Pictured with Crosby Commons Executive Director, Lori Pisani (left) and Chef Supervisor, Richard Scaife (right)