Residents of Brightmore of South Charlotte Senior Living Enjoy Giving Back to the Community

Opportunities to support charities abound at Brightmore of South Charlotte, where residents enjoy giving back to the community.

“We always try to contribute to charities,” says Abby Vaca, life enrichment director at Brightmore of South Charlotte. “We do a lot of fundraisers, and we try to bring volunteer efforts on campus to make it convenient for our residents.”

Busy Bees

One of the philanthropic efforts at Brightmore of South Charlotte is a resident-run group called the Busy Bees. They meet weekly to make hats that they donate to hospitals, orphanages and others organizations in need.

The Busy Bees have about ten members who—as their name indicates—are busy. They make and donate between 100 and 200 hats monthly for newborns, cancer patients and others.

Marion Brinsfield, a resident of Brightmore of South Charlotte, leads the group that was founded five years ago. “I’ve worked in crafts all my life, so it was right up my alley,” she says.

While some members may choose to knit or crochet the hats they make, the group also uses forms around which yarns are wrapped. This is easy for anyone to do and requires little training. “Mostly, we make the hats on a form, so you don’t need to know how to knit or crochet,” says Brinsfield. “Furthermore, using the forms doesn’t take a lot of strength.”

Brinsfield says the best parts of being a Busy Bee are the friendships she’s made and being able to support the wider community.

“It’s the fellowship that I enjoy,” she says. “I also enjoy giving back and knowing that we are brightening someone’s life.”

Salvation Army Ladies Auxiliary

Resident Diana Rainey has been a member of the Salvation Army Ladies Auxiliary since 1988, and she didn’t give up that interest when she moved to Brightmore of South Charlotte. The auxiliary, she says, holds collections for back-to-school items for students in need. She spearheaded that same initiative at the senior living community.

The back-to-school drive was advertised in Brightmore of South Charlotte’s residents’ new letter. Rainey placed a large bin in a central hall, and the donations of notebooks, pens, pencils and folders began rolling in.

“It just took off,” Rainey says, adding that residents were happy to contribute something to children who don’t have the items they need to excel in school.

“I think the residents like doing it,” Rainey says.

Operation Sandwich

It took just one-half hour for approximately three dozen residents of Brightmore of South Charlotte to assemble 400 turkey and ham sandwiches. These were then donated to Roof Above, an organization dedicated to serving homeless people in Charlotte.

Vaca says the first-time event was a great success, and they are planning another sandwich-making effort. “We didn’t expect it to go so quickly. Next time we’ll have more ingredients so we can make even more sandwiches,” Vaca says.

She adds that she is always glad to hear residents’ suggestions for ways to give back to the community and those in need. She notes, for instance, that Brightmore of South Charlotte often supports the Alzheimer’s Association simply by placing a donation box at the front desk where residents can drop off monetary donations.

“That’s a cause that’s close to many of our residents’ hearts,” she says.

Brightmore of South Charlotte and The Terrace

Brightmore of South Charlotte is full-service rental retirement community located amid lovely homes and plentiful public spaces in South Charlotte, a growing neighborhood of Charlotte, North Carolina–named one of the “best places to retire in North Carolina” by U.S. News & World Report. Brightmore of South Charlotte offers independent living that supports a vibrant lifestyle for active seniors. The Terrace, located onsite, offers assisted living and memory support, while The Pavilion Health Center offers respite care, rehabilitation, and skilled nursing. These entities provide care for both residents of Brightmore of South Charlotte and the surrounding area, thus providing a complete continuum of care for seniors. Brightmore of South Charlotte is owned and operated by Liberty Senior Living, LLC, a division of Liberty Healthcare Management that specializes in senior living and retirement communities. To learn more about Brightmore of South Charlotte please visit www.brightmoreofsouthcharlotte.com. To learn more about Liberty Senior Living and the communities they offer, please visit www.LibertySeniorLiving.com .