First off – thank you to Annie for such a beautiful introduction. I know that she has left some big shoes to fill with answering the questions for this article, but I am up for the challenge!

For those who don’t know me, I am Sarah Duggan – the Community Relations Director at Meadowlark Hills. I have worked here for over four years and loved every minute of it. My husband, Edward, and I live in Manhattan with our 10-month-old daughter, Murphy Rose. We recently purchased our first home (exciting!) and are anxiously anticipating Murphy’s first birthday in July.

During my time working at Meadowlark Hills, I have often heard the comment or concern of how residents and staff receive communication regarding news and events on our campus. Listed below are few avenues that are used to share information:

• The Meadowlark Hills Messenger – Our lifeline at Meadowlark Hills! The Messenger features articles about news and upcoming events, a listing of meal specials for Verna Belle’s Café and Prairie Star Restaurant, the movie schedule and an Opportunities Calendar outlining the events and activities for the coming week. The Messenger is printed and distributed every Thursday morning. This publication is created and managed by the Community Relations Assistant, Magye Loya. There is a resident committee who meets every Thursday morning to fold and distribute the Messenger, including five residents who deliver the newsletter to the cottages and duplexes.
• Touchtown TV – An internal television channel is managed by the Hospitality team. This can be found on channel 20 (if the TV is plugged directly into the wall) and on channel 1960 (if the TV is plugged into a box). The channel is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The channel rotates through slides that outline the day’s meal specials, the day’s movie, the list of events for the day and the list of events for tomorrow. Some additional announcements are included in this rotation and information about services offered on the Meadowlark Hills campus. All activities listed in the Messenger are not included on the Touchtown TV slides in effort to make the slide rotation a manageable one to watch. If there is a cancelation for an activity, there will be a slide placed on Touchtown.
• Flyers – The Hospitality team posts flyers in the elevators, Game Room and the bulletin board at the west side entrance advertising events and activities. Cancelations are communicated on flyers in these areas.
• Welcome Signs – Every day, the Hospitality team puts out the Welcome Sign for the day in the main lobby. This sign lists the daily meal specials, the movie for the day and a list of the day’s events. If there is a cancelation, the event will be marked out with a note that says “canceled” next to it.
• The Meadowlark Hills website features a section on events. Residents, staff and community members are invited to use this option when looking to see what events are coming up. Previous and current Messengers are also included on the website. Visit the Meadowlark Hills homepage by going to www.meadowlark.org.

Of course, if there is ever a question about an activity or event, please inquire with any of the following people:

• Monte Spiller, Resident Services Leader, (785) 323-3801
• Hospitality team, (785) 537-4610
• Sarah Duggan, Community Relations Director, (785) 323-3860
• Magye Loya, Community Relations Assistant, (785) 323-3890

I’m looking forward to receiving, researching and answering your questions. Submit questions to the box at the Hospitality Desk or directly to me via phone, e-mail or stopping by my office! I’m located in the Community Center next to Monte Spiller and across from the Sales team.