Stilley House Senior Living took the time to recognize the men residing in the facility during the annual Fathers and Floats event on Friday, June 13.
The facility has hosted a Father’s Day event for many years, encouraging the resident men to bring their family members and celebrate, and recent years have seen the addition of the ice cream float theme.
Director of Life Engagement Paula Robinson organizes a plethora of activities for the residents throughout the year, but considers the Mother’s Day Tea and Fathers and Floats events to be particularly special because of how close the staff and residents are.
“It’s important to me and the other staff because some of our fathers do not have children that live nearby, or the children are not able to attend,” said Robinson. “So, we want to show our fathers that we love them and they are father figures to us, and so we want to honor them with this activity.”
Only around 17 men are residents of Stilley House, making for a considerably smaller event than the Mother’s Day Tea, but the smaller group also allowed the staff to connect with each one more individually.
The group was treated to floats with the choice of root beer, orange soda, and Coke served by the staff. The men were each given a small bottle of soda as party favors at the end of the celebration.
Before the floats were served, Executive Director Jennifer Brown spoke to the residents and families about the value the conversations had with the men can bring to Stilley House, not despite but because of them being such a small group.
“Our Father’s Day event is always more intimate and small, because we don’t have as many men in our community as we do women,” said Brown. “I think that’s pretty special though because we get to know our fathers and our men and our dads on a different level.”
Brown also acknowledged that many family members may see a different side of their fathers in settings like Stilley House, where residents have fewer responsibilities than in earlier stages of life.
“Dads and fathers, being the head of the household, you have a lot on your shoulders,” said Brown. “You carry the burden of providing for the family, being the father figure to the family, a good influence on your children, you have to support your wife, and when you get to relinquish those duties, I’ll say, and you come to a setting like ours, we get to see a different side of somebody, and you as a family member get to see a different side of your dad, or your father, that you may or may not have seen before, because they’re not worried about making the money and providing for the family and mowing the yard and teaching little league and all that. It’s really kind of special, it really is.”
Brown also noted that the staff has been able to see the ways in which the residents have been father figures to a variety of individuals, whether the residents have their own children or not. Brown also took a moment to individually acknowledge the men present, before thanking them collectively.
“Thank you to all of our fathers in the room today, whether you’re a father by birth of a child or just a father figure, you’re all special and we love you,” said Brown.
