The Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation presents the 2nd Annual "Hats Off to Volunteers"
Casa de las Campanas resident Dorothy (Dottie) Risheberger recently received well-deserved acknowledgment by the RB Community Foundation for her work as a community volunteer.
Dorothy is an active member of the Rancho Bernardo Community and has given her time freely as dedicated volunteer in so many ways:
Treasurer of RB Community Council from 2006 through 2010.
Finance Committee Chair of the RB Community Council and Chair of Audit/Inventory Committee for two and a half years.
Chair of Nominating Committee of the RB Community Council in 2009.
Served on the RB Planning Board 1998-2006.
Ways and Means Committee Chair for three years on the RB Planning Board.
Served on the traffic committee for eight years.
Served on the development review committee of the RB Planning Board for eight years.
Service on the regional issues committee for four years.
Dorothy is an 18 year resident of Casa de las Campanas and a dedicated volunteer within the Casa Community. Dorothy's volunteer spirit is inspirational both at Casa and throughout the greater Rancho Bernardo Community.
From everyone at Casa… Dorothy, thank you for all the work you do not only at Casa de las Campanas, but also for the volunteer work you have done in the past on the RB Community Council and planning board. You truly deserve this wonderful award!
In November 2010, Casa invited area seniors to the community for a delicious celebration of its innovative composting program:
Casa's kitchen composts natural materials, then donates the compost to a local certified organic farm.
Students and volunteers grow organic fruits and vegetables.
Casa's chefs use the farm's organic produce to create healthy local cuisine.
Area seniors indulged in a delicious lunch prepared with Casa's farm-fresh local produce. During lunch, Loren Nancarrow – star of "Going Green" on Fox 5 San Diego –offered a fascinating look at Casa's unique composting program and its impact on the greater San Diego community. As the only not-for-profit Type "A" Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) in San Diego County, Casa views its local involvement as an inherent part of its community values.
Casa de las Campanas needle workers team up with Kiwanis and OASIS members to send U.S. Troops Christmas cheer
American Troops stationed in Afghanistan might not be able to come home for the holidays, but they will receive a bit of heartfelt Christmas cheer from Casa de las Campanas residents. For the past several months, the Casa de las Campanas Craft Club and Knitting Club members have been hand-making Christmas stockings. Simultaneously, the knitters of OASIS have been completing stockings under the direction of expert knitter and instructor Flora Young - a Casa de las Campanas resident.
The combined efforts have produced 55 sewn stockings and 90 knitted stockings, all to be stuffed with goodies. Each stocking is embellished uniquely with hand-crafted decorations and includes a note to let the recipient know how much their service is appreciated.
“Each year the USS Midway Museum collects filled stocking to be shipped to our Troops. Thousands of stocking are sent annually,” explained Director of Marketing Marge Pronovost. “All groups are very excited about this project and have been working diligently for several months.” Because of generous donations from many groups, the stockings will be packed with items that a soldier who lives miles away from home will appreciate, such as over-the-counter medications, toiletries, non-perishable snacks, batteries, nail clippers, paperback books, playing cards, hair clips, wet wipes and foot powder.
“What we find heartwarming is how the Casa de las Campanas community stepped forward to help. The Craft Club donated $125 to the project and the Executive Council donated another $100,” Pronovost said. “Then the community at-large became involved. Rancho Bernardo Kiwanis members contributed $400 within minutes of Vice President Frank Rojas and member Ellie Hodge announcing the stocking project. On top of that donation, an anonymous Kiwanis member contributed $1,000 to the cause.”
“Project participants stuffed the stockings in an assembly-line fashion on Monday, Sept. 27 at Casa de las Campanas,” Provonost said. “On this day all of the hand-crafted Christmas stockings were on display”.
Casa de las Campanas is selected as Best Retirement Community
Casa de las Campanas has been named as the top retirement/assisted living community in Union-Tribune's Best of San Diego 2010.
“We are thrilled that San Diego recognizes what a vibrant place Casa de las Campanas is to call home,” said Director of Marketing Marge Pronovost. “However, it is our residents who truly make our community a special place.”
For 22 years, Casa de las Campanas has operated successfully as the only not-for-profit Type A continuing care retirement community in San Diego County and has remained financially solvent, Pronovost said. The beautiful 23-acre residential community is nestled in the hills of Rancho Bernardo overlooking Lake Hodges.
Each resident pays an entrance fee for their lifetime contract that includes guaranteed unlimited, health-related services for a lifetime. Fees are based on apartment square footage. The community offers 380 apartment homes. One, two and three-bedroom plans are available in a variety of sizes, with the largest being 1,934 square feet. The property also features a full fitness center, two outdoor heated swimming pools and a dinner theater and social lounge for residents.
The Casa de las Campanas way of life includes meals at one of two separate dining rooms, regular housekeeping, many residential services and numerous planned activities in addition to no worries about the future.
Additional amenities include 24-hour security, guest rooms for out of town guests along with complimentary breakfast, an on-site corner store stocked with snacks, gifts and the basic necessities, an arts and crafts room, a hobby shop with machinery and tools and much more.
“With 40 different Casa de las Campanas community clubs and committees our residents never are bored or lonely. Our residents enjoy the camaraderie they feel socializing over a delicious meal, sharing exercise tips at the fitness center or chatting after a game of Bridge,” Pronovost said.
If a resident's healthcare needs change either temporarily or permanently Casa de las Campanas provides the appropriate care - whether it is in-home health services and supportive care, temporary care, long-term skilled nursing care or memory-care in the state of the art Palmer Special Care Residence. The Casa de las Campanas promise assures residents that care will be provided with no substantial increase in their monthly service fee.
“Come visit us and see why San Diego voted Casa de las Campanas as the No. 1 place to live as an active adult,” Pronovost said.
Casa de las Campanas is at 18655 West Bernardo Drive, off Interstate 15 in North San Diego County. To make an appointment for a tour call Marge Pronovost at (858) 592-1811.
Casa de las Campanas needleworkers collaborate with RB Kiwanis and OASIS members to send U.S. Troops Christmas cheer
American Troops stationed in Afghanistan might not be able to come home for the holidays, but they will receive a bit of heartfelt Christmas cheer from Casa de las Campanas residents.
For the past several months, the Casa de las Campanas Craft Club and Knitting Club members have been hand-making Christmas stockings. Simultaneously, the knitters of OASIS have been completing stockings under the direction of expert knitter and instructor Flora Young, a Casa de las Campanas resident.
The combined efforts have produced 55 sewn stockings and 90 knitted stockings, all to be stuffed with goodies. Each stocking is embellished uniquely with hand-crafted decorations and includes a note to let the recipient know how much their service is appreciated.
“Each year the USS Midway Museum collects filled stocking to be shipped to our Troops. Thousands of stocking are sent annually,” explained Director of Marketing Marge Pronovost. “All groups are very excited about this project and have been working diligently for several months.”
Because of generous donations from many groups, the stockings will be packed with items that a soldier who lives miles away from home will appreciate.
“What we find heartwarming is how the Casa de las Campanas community stepped forward to help. The Craft Club donated $125 to the project and the Executive Council donated another $100,” Pronovost said. “Then the community at-large became involved. Rancho Bernardo Kiwanis members contributed $400 within minutes of Vice President Frank Rojas and member Ellie Hodge announcing the stocking project. On top of that donation an anonymous Kiwanis member contributed $1,000 to the cause.”
The stockings will contain a variety of items such as over the counter medications, toiletries, nonperishable snacks, batteries, nail clippers, paperback books, playing cards, hair clips, wet wipes, foot powder.
“Project participants will be stuffing the stockings in an assembly-line fashion on Monday, Sept. 27 at Casa de las Campanas,” Pronovost said. “On this day all of the hand-crafted Christmas stockings will be on display, too. Anyone who would like to see these beautifully hand-made items before they are turned over to the USS Midway Museum to ship to our Troops is welcome to do so.”
Casa de las Campanas is at 18655 W. Bernardo Drive, San Diego.
Casa de las Campanas launches a composting program that is delicious
Reuse and recycle is taking on a whole new meaning at Casa de las Campanas where a new composting program has grabbed the attention – and a little bit of help – from a local television personality.
Loren Nancarrow, a San Diego FOX-Channel 5 newscaster, recently teamed up with the Casa de las Campanas community to help establish a worm farm for composting kitchen waste.
Each day 80 pounds of worms eat through coffee grinds and filter paper from the brewed coffee, trimmings from fresh fruit and vegetables, egg shells and paper cartons and shredded paper. After the number of worms has doubled in size, the result will be about 100 pounds of compost daily.
Mr. Nancarrow is offering his expertise in composting and is following the development of the program, said Mr. Jamie Gerkowski, Casa de las Campanas food and beverage director.
"When we realized how much compost would be generated, we wondered what we were going to do with so much of it," Mr. Gerkowski said. "Mr. Nancarrow suggested that we seek a partnership with a farmer who could use the rich fertilizer."
A few telephone calls later, Mr. Gerkowski found San Pasqual Academy in Escondido, which operates a 26-acre certified organic field and sells its produce locally. "The academy was interested in trading compost for fresh vegetables. We were delighted," he said. "I can see some great things happening between Casa de las Campanas and San Pasqual, including some very special field trips."
The Casa de las Campanas Foundation has been generous with its support of the program and financed the commercial size worm bin needed to handle the daily food waste. In turn, the community expects to save $1,800 a year in disposal fees.
"What I think is so neat is that our composted trimmings are returned to the Casa de las Campanas community as delicious produce to enjoy," said Director of Marketing Marge Pronovost. "This is the ultimate in what it means to be environmentally friendly." The topic of soil may not be exciting but without good soil the ability to grow healthy food is lost, Mr. Nancarrow said.
"Our soil is in sorry shape after decades of chemical farming. The ground beneath our feet needs all the organic material we can generate added to it," he explained. Casa's willingness to keep food waste out of the landfill by using earthworms for composting may seem like a small act, but what it represents is very large.
"The residents of Casa de las Campanas are pioneers in helping to show the rest of the region how a small act can have a big impact," Mr. Nancarrow said. "I love telling their story every chance I get."
The food was fabulously French and so was the atmosphere when Casa de las Campanas opened its doors to more than 100 prospective residents in February.
The Flavors of France was the first of four Taste of Casa food and wine events planned for this year. Held February 3 in the Dinner Theater, the afternoon highlighted the creations of Casa’s own Executive Chef Christian Vignes and Pastry Chef Jean Luc Fourment.
“We packed the place with 130 guests for this taste of Casa de las Campanas living. Our visitors enjoyed small bites of French food at various stations as well as the sounds of the strolling accordion player who was a big hit,” said Marge Pronovost, Director of Marketing and Sales.
Casa de las Campas planned the event to show off its delicious cuisine, which is as fresh as the approach to senior living. The only not-for-profit Type A Continuing Care Retirement Community in San Diego County, many guests chose to tour the apartment homes and to learn more about the community.
Spanish Tapas will be featured at the next culinary food and wine event which will be held Thursday, March 4.
Two more culinary events will be held later this year and will feature foods of Asia Pacific and the California Coast.
To reserve your seat at the March 4 event, call Casa de las Campanas at (858) 592-1870. Seating is limited.
