Kendal at Oberlin

11/19/2025

It’s the season of giving thanks, and here’s another reason to be thankful - a Harvard study published last year found that being grateful might add years to your life.

“Prior research has shown an association between gratitude and lower risk of mental distress and greater emotional and social wellbeing. However, its association with physical health is less understood,” said lead author Ying Chen, research scientist in the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Department of Epidemiology. “Our study provides the first empirical evidence on this topic, suggesting that experiencing grateful affect may increase longevity among older adults.”

The study focused on nearly 50,000 female nurses with an average age of 79. Those who scored highest on the Gratitude Questionnaire had a 9% lower risk of all-cause mortality over the following four years than those who scored in the bottom tertile.

The mental health benefits have been well-researched. According to the National Council on Aging, “When you embrace a sense of gratitude, this triggers a release of serotonin and dopamine —two chemicals in the human brain that are linked with pleasure and a positive mood. This flood of feel-good chemicals sets the stage for a happier, healthier you.”

For some of us, though, practicing gratitude doesn’t come easy or maybe we don’t feel we have much to be grateful for.

Here some suggestions from PsychCentral.com for cultivating a gratitude attitude:

Keep a gratitude jar or journal and daily add at least one thing you are grateful for;
Treat yourself to regular feel-good activities, whether it’s a walk in nature or listening to a favorite song;
Consciously looking for the “silver lining,” or the “bright side,” even when dealing with negative emotions.

11/17/2025

Meet Dave Coffin, a resident at Kendal at Oberlin, where community and creativity thrive. Dave’s background is in food distribution so no surprise he now coordinates monthly visits to the Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio and is a member of Kendal’s Dining Matters committee.

Dave Coffin’s background is in food distribution so no surprise he now coordinates monthly visits to the Second Harvest Food Bank and is a member of Kendal’s Dining Matters committee.

11/13/2025

For 27 years Toni Merleno has been Kendal at Oberlin’s Director of Human Resources, but like many jobs her responsibilities have evolved over the years. Currently she has responsibility for Hospitality Services and Kendal Early Learning Center and formerly was risk manager for 20 years.

Working with older adults has been a good fit for Toni, which is one reason she has been with Kendal for so many years. “Even when I was young I considered myself an ‘old soul’ born 50 years too late! I have always been drawn to older adults. I find they have lived such diverse rich lives with an abundance of wisdom/experiences to share if we just make the time to listen to them,” she says.

The other main reason for her tenure at Kendal is its Quaker values. “They have guided our Oberlin community to a great level of success that stands out in the entire Kendal family of affiliates. These values also have made a huge impression on me personally, and I will always cherish the opportunity to serve and work here as well as the privilege to know our wonderful staff and residents,” Toni says.

Those values were key to Kendal community’s success during the pandemic, she says. “No one was laid off and it was great to see such positive attitudes among staff members doing cleaning/sanitizing areas, testing, and many other needed jobs.”

As Toni nears retirement, though a date has not been determined, she thinks about how Kendal residents have navigated their transition. “I am a self-confessed workaholic and retirement for me will probably mean finding another job. My attitude has been shaped by seeing how our residents move here and then pick up activities of service: volunteering thousands of hours annually at a variety of nonprofits in the county, pursuing their passions for music, art and writing, and continuing their learning via Oberlin College and other academics. As we say, retirees come to Kendal at Oberlin to live and thrive and not to sit around and fade away,” she says

Toni’s interests include reading and writing – “I have an idea for a novel I’ve been playing with mentally for the past three decades” and studying the Bible. She is also a closet accordionist and loves music.

11/11/2025

For two decades Deborah Campana was head of the Oberlin Conservatory Library so the subject of her current exhibit at Kendal at Oberlin is like an old friend: 25 color photographs featuring Oberlin scenes, primarily at Oberlin College and Conservatory.

“I was fortunate to be part of a campus environment where lively, provocative thinking took place in and around amazing architecture and on peaceful, lush grounds. Taking photographs allowed me to capture a sense of this vital place — a place that continually took on new appearances due to seasonal changes in weather and lighting. I hope that images in this exhibit demonstrate not only the passing of time with Oberlin as the focal point — a moment in the photo, seasons in a year — but the allure of campus life,” Campana writes in her Artist Statement.

On Friday (Nov. 14) Deborah will give an Artist Talk at 4 p.m. in Heiser Auditorium. Her exhibit “Oberlin in Frames” runs through Dec. 9 in the Friends Gallery. The public is invited to both events.

This is her second exhibit at Kendal. Earlier this year she had a solo show featuring birds at French Creek Reservation. Deborah, who retired from the conservatory library in 2022, has a studio in the back of her Amherst house. Her work appears in many private collections. She also studies painting.

She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Firelands Association for the Visual Arts (FAVA). For years she performed as a clarinetist with the Chicago-based new music ensemble, Kapture, in addition to the Gamelan Ensemble of Chicago at the Chicago Field Museum.

11/06/2025

Kendal's Indigenous Peoples Interest Group is hosting an intergenerational tree-planting ceremony on Nov. 10 to “celebrate indigenous survival and ingenuity.” The event is being held in November because it’s National Native American Heritage Month.

Fourth graders from Oberlin Elementary School will participate in the Nov. 10 event, which will be held at 1:30 p.m. between Lots 5 and 6. (If raining, the gathering will move to Heiser Auditorium.) The public is invited.

“Kendal residents care deeply about the environment, so we look forward to honoring the Indigenous Peoples who were such wise stewards of this land. Sixteen Kendal residents attended this year's Indigenous Peoples’ Day of Oberlin Vigil and Celebration, and three founders of that event will participate in Monday's tree dedication celebration,” said Carol Conti-Entin, chair of the event.

The commemorative tree to be planted in The John Bartram Arboretum is a Nyssa sylvatica (commonly called a tupelo, black tupelo, black gum, or sour gum), paid for by a Kendal at Oberlin Residents Association grant requested by the Indigenous Peoples Interest Group and the Horticulture and Arboretum Committee.

Native Americans used tupelo’s durable wood for such items as tool handles, weaving frames, canoe paddles, bowls, dolls and bats. They wove mats and baskets out of inner bark, collected the nectar as a sweetener, used the colored leaves to make dyes, and dried the berries for use as a winter food. Medicinally, this species treated diarrhea, eye irritations, parasitical worms and wounds.

Kendal’s Indigenous Peoples Interest Group, currently chaired by Dianne Haley, has met monthly since January 2024. The group learned that Ohio has no federally recognized Indigenous Nations within its borders because the Indian Removal Act of 1830 forcibly removed the Delaware/Lenape, Ottawa, Seneca, Shawnee, and Wyandot communities, sending them west of the Mississippi. In addition to educating members and sponsoring educational programs at Kendal, the group endeavors to be of service to local Indigenous people.

11/04/2025

Veterans Day, a federal holiday when the U.S. president and other leaders gather at Arlington National Cemetery and thousands march in New York City, Cleveland and other cities, is not just a special day for veterans and their loved ones to observe.

November 11 is a day for all Americans to pay tribute to the millions of men and women, alive and deceased, for “their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good,” according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

One way is to fly the U.S. flag, but make sure you do it properly, according to Military.com Never drag a U.S. flag on the ground or let it touch the ground; don’t drape it over the hood, top, sides or back of a vehicle; don't display a tattered or torn flag.

Here are four more ways to observe Veterans Day.

Organize a tribute at your church or synagogue, city or community. For instance, at Kendal residents and staff will gather on Veterans Day for an evening tribute to all those who have served in the Armed Services.

Visit or write a thank you note to a veteran. Senior centers, assisted living facilities and veterans organizations can put you in touch with a veteran who might enjoy a visit or a handwritten letter.

Donate to a veterans organization but make sure it’s reputable. CharityWatchs top-rated charities include Hope For The Warriors, National Military Family Association and Semper Fi & America’s Fund.

Read a book. West Point’s Modern War Institute compiled a reading list for Veterans Day that includes “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien, “Tribe” by Sebastian Junger and “The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War” by Michael Shaara.

Check out Cleveland Veterans Day Parade for next week's parade details.

11/03/2025

When Charlotte Patrick-Dooling arrived at Oberlin College four years ago, the Washington D.C. freshmen wanted to find an off-campus job at a place that cared about people and community.

Kendal at Oberlin was just that place, and since then Charlotte has worked with its Creative Arts Therapy department. Now four years later she discovered she shares another bond with a dozen Kendal residents: Peace Corps volunteer.

“It is really, really empowering to be surrounded by former Peace Corps volunteers,” says Charlotte, 21, who heads to Nepal in January for a 27-month commitment teaching middle school students.

The dozen Kendal residents who served in the Peace Corps includes Nan Holben, who two years ago gathered residents together for a dinner to share stories about their time in the Corps, which ranged from 1963 to 2012.

This fall an Oberlin College administrator contacted Nan about Charlotte’s upcoming Peace Corps tour and Nan arranged a luncheon with Charlotte, not knowing initially that she was a Kendal employee.

“I said to her at the luncheon that in 50 years, we hope she’ll be having lunch with a fledgling Peace Corps volunteer, just as we shared our experiences with her,” Nan says.

Charlotte grew up hearing about the Peace Corps from her grandparents, who met while serving in Peru, and she has traveled extensively throughout Central America and Southeast Asia. She’s studying politics and history and plans to go to graduate school but first wanted to have a meaningful cross-cultural adventure.

After three-months of training in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, Charlotte will be assigned to a Nepal school, paired with a Nepali teacher who is learning to speak English and live with a local family.

Lots of unknowns, but Charlotte is more excited than anxious. “Honestly talking to Nan and the other residents has eased my worries a bit,” Charlotte says, adding “The Peace Corps has clearly impacted their lives.”

She’ll have internet access at the school and plans to say in touch with her Kendal friends, both co-workers and residents, while she’s away.

Says Charlotte, “Kendal has been a very big part of my Oberlin experience to say the least.”

Photographed below: Charlotte and Nan standing outside of Kendal at Oberlin.

10/30/2025

Of course, children love dressing up and celebrating Halloween, but “adults embrace the spooky season” too, says the Halloween & Costume Association.

Among findings from a recent survey:
51% of adults who celebrate Halloween plan to dress in costume this year, with
32% dressing their pets in costume;
6% of adults Halloween costume wearers plan to throw or attend a Halloween
party, while 54% plan to decorate their homes or yards.

With Halloween on a Friday this year, expect the celebration to be even bigger.

Couple things to keep in mind:

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, followed by Peanut M&Ms, regular M&Ms, and Kit Kats were the most popular candies ordered last year, according to “Food & Wine.” with “candy corn divisive but still popular” in a few states. Bottom line, buy candy popular for leftovers with family and friends.

When it comes to costumes Halloween superstore Spirit Halloween recently issued a press release “relaying its top trend predictions for the season based on sales so far, and included on that list are "K Pop Demon Hunters"-inspired getups, Glinda and Elphaba of "Wicked" fame, as well as other "Wizard of Oz" picks, "Fantastic Four" superhero looks, and pink, sparkly looks that play on the pastel Halloween trend of the past few years.”

As for classic costumes that never seem to go out of style are scarecrow, princess, bat, mummy, black cat and witch.

And speaking of classics, IMDb says some of the movies that best embody the spirit of Halloween are “Night of the Living Dead” (1968), “Beetlejuice” (1988), “House on Haunted Hill” (1959) and “Friday the 13th” (1980).

At Kendal, residents and staff will be the celebrating Halloween with a “feast for the imagination” dinner on Oct. 31 (costumers optional) and a Jack-O-Lantern contest (check out some of the submissions for this year), while Early Learning Center preschoolers will gather for a costume party.

10/30/2025

Most Americans – 54% - want to say “good riddance” to daylight savings time (DST), according to a 2025 Gallup Poll. The mood has changed dramatically since 1999, the last time Gallup surveyed Americans on this topic, when only 27% were in favoring of ditching the time change.

Our elected leaders have heard us, according to The Hill, and “there are bills in Congress that could put the U.S. on permanent daylight saving time, one of which has received bipartisan support. All four were referred to committees, but they don’t seem any closer to passing, especially in light of the current government shutdown.”

So come Sunday you’ll be turning non-digital clocks back an hour and dealing with grogginess and sleep disruption.

“The end of DST in November provides an extra hour for sleep, but it can still interfere with your schedule, sleep habits, and daylight exposure. As a result, getting one hour more to sleep may not actually contribute to better rest,” according to the sleepfoundation.org

Here are tips to handle the change to standard time in the fall, according to Indiana University School of Medicine:
• Try to make gradual changes in your bedtime and wake time at least a few days prior to the time change, if possible, by going to bed and waking up about 10-15 minutes later each day.
• Head outdoors in the evening for the few days before and after the time change. The light exposure in the evening can help delay the internal body clock.
• If you are waking up earlier than desired, avoid looking at screens until your intended wake up time.

But the best remedy would be to ditch DST, says Stephanie M. Stahl, MD, associate professor of clinical medicine at Indiana University. “Permanent standard time is better for sleep and overall health,” she says.

10/24/2025

When weather turns chilly it’s time to turn our attention to engaging indoor activities like visiting area museums. Northeast Ohio is home to a variety of excellent museums. Here are four to consider.

1. Maltz Museum, Respect for All Humanity in Beachwood is home to 566 works of art, ceremonial objects, and media, including 166 artifacts in the Museum’s Temple-Tifereth Israel Gallery. The mission of the museum, which was founded 20 years ago is to “build bridges of tolerance and understanding by sharing Jewish heritage through the lens of the American experience.”

Its current special exhibition is “El Sueño Americano / The American Dream,” a traveling exhibition documenting the migrant experience at the U.S./Mexican border through the lens of photographer Tom Kiefer and the eyes of filmmaker and Mexican American artist Elizabeth Z. Pineda. The exhibit runs through Feb. 16.

2. “Hollywood on the Cuyahoga: Northeast Ohio and the Movies” opened last month at Cleveland History Center and runs through October 2026.
“Hollywood on the Cuyahoga is a first for our community,” said Kelly Falcone-Hall, WRHS president & CEO. “While people are becoming more aware that movies are made in Northeast Ohio, there has never been a comprehensive look at how this industry has, over the years, blossomed into a major part of our cultural landscape and an economic engine for the region, and all of Ohio.”

3. Opening Nov. 9 at The Cleveland Museum of Art is “Renaissance to Runway: The Enduring Italian Houses.” The exhibit spans 500 years and covers powerful families who used fashion as a form of power and influence to today’s designers like Versace and Ferragamo who continue to enhance the international fashion landscape.

Another special exhibition, open until Jan. 11, 2026, is “In Vino Veritas (In Wine, Truth),” which celebrates the presence and meaning of wine in prints, drawings, textiles, and objects made in Europe between 1450 and 1800.

4. Allen Memorial Art Museum in Oberlin is currently exhibiting “Picturing Paris: Monet and the Modern City,” which brings together three of Monet’s cityscapes of Paris, all painted from an elevated viewpoint inside the Louvre in 1867. The exhibit ends Dec. 23.

Founded in 1917 on the campus of Oberlin College, the Allen Memorial Art Museum is recognized as one of the best academic art museums in the nation.

10/17/2025

Bravo Kendal at Oberlin Grounds Crew!

10/16/2025

Every October the Kendal community comes together to celebrate Kendal staff members celebrating a milestone anniversary, and this month two dozen are honored, including five with 30 years of service.

“One of the secrets to our success is the strength and longevity of our staff. It is important to be able to recognize these people and their amazing contributions every October,” says Seth Vilensky, Chief Executive Officer of Kendal at Oberlin, which opened in October 1993.

The 24 staff members enjoyed a special anniversary luncheon on Oct. 15th, followed by a program and reception.

The 2025 honorees are:

30 YEARS
Lisa Blackford – Dining Services
Sandi Bockmore – Stephens Care Center
Janice Hedrick – Stephens Care Center
Kathy Helke – Stephens Care Center
Terry Kovach – Marketing

25 YEARS
JoDee Palmer – Marketing
Kim Preston – Outreach
Sue Rogers – Stephens Care Center

20 YEARS
Karen Moore – Early Learning Center

15 YEARS
Maureen Bailey – Housekeeping
Maribelle Holly – Stephens Care Center
Ken Menefee – Facility Services
Deshell Penny – Stephens Care Center
Kim Peters – Social Services

10 YEARS
Emily Hoffman – Early Learning Center
Will Thompson - Facility Services
Christopher Twymon – Creative Arts Therapy
Donna Weber – Finance

5 YEARS
Ally Armstrong – Stephens Care Center
Nandi Cruz – Facility Services
Avery Harssema – Dining Services
Donna Morris – Housekeeping
Chrystn Petsas – Health & Wellness
Judy Smith – Housekeeping

Eight of the honorees are what Kendal calls “homegrown tomatoes,” which means they have advanced in their professional careers at Kendal. They are: Sandi Bockmore, Terry Kovach, JoDee Palmer, Kim Preston, Ken Menefee, Kim Peters, Emily Hoffman and Christopher Twymon.