Program Makes Local Woman’s Dream Come True
By MARIA GRISWOLD
NEW BERLIN
Everyone has dreams they want to accomplish in life, but some just don’t work out as planned.
At Oneonta’s Heritage at The Plains at Parish Homestead senior care center, there is a program specifically to address this. And earlier this month, one of these previously unrealized dreams finally came true.
The “Tree of Dreams” is a program facilitated through the staff at The Plains to provide those living in their care an opportunity to live their dream.
“There is a committee of staff members, management and aides. We decide on an idea and brainstorm what we can do with them,” explained Heather Anderson, director of Magnolia Trails at The Plains, “Eileen Crowell loves to paint, but put her painting aside to raise her family. I thought, can we try to do something for her?”
“We try every quarter to make someone’s dream come true,” Anderson shared. “Eileen said she would know she made it as an artist if her paintings were on display.”
Crowell’s dream came true on the morning of Wednesday, December 3. She began her day with a private VIP tour of Golden Artist Colors in New Berlin.
There, she had the opportunity to explore the facility in its entirety, guided by Emma Golden, granddaughter of founders Sam and Adele Golden. Crowell was accompanied by Anderson, as well as driver Stacy Laragione, and even a surprise guest—her son, Dan Crowell.
With the tour concluded, Crowell visited Golden’s paint bar, where she was able to experiment with all of the available paints. This experience is described by Golden Paints Inc. as being “like a kid in a candy store—you want to sink your teeth (your brush in this case) into one of each kind you see.”
At the end of the tour, Emma Golden surprised Crowell with her own goodie bag, filled with watercolor paints, tubes, canvases, paint charts, and even her own special apron—the same one employees wear when creating paints. There was also a bag of goodies for her grandchildren.
However, Crowell’s special day did not end there. She and her entourage traveled to The Nook coffee house, a cozy artistic café in New Berlin where they were set to have lunch.
As Crowell walked through the door, Anderson reminded her, “You told me that you always wanted your pictures on the wall someplace to show people, and if you had that you would know you were truly an artist.”
Continuing into the café, Crowell was met with her paintings—hung on display.
Unbeknownst to her, when Crowell’s son visited her at The Plains on Thanksgiving, he stealthily removed her paintings from the room and transferred them to Anderson’s office. Once there, Anderson took them to The Nook, where owner Rich Anderson proudly put the paintings on view, making Crowell the featured artist for the month of December.
This “Tree of Dreams Day” is the fifth such experience that has come to fruition since the program’s inception. Anderson said that The Plains staff try to make someone’s dream come true each quarter, or at least two per year.
Other dreams that have been fulfilled through the program include the following:
- One resident wanted her whole family together for a meal, and she was surprised with her entire family visiting her for a meal catered by Sloan’s New York Grill.
- One gentleman wanted to ride a sports car around Oneonta for a day, and he had his dream come true while traversing the city in his dream car.
- Another woman dreamed of being a librarian, and Huntington Memorial Library gave her the opportunity to be the children’s librarian for a day.
- And one resident simply wanted to treat everyone in assisted living to a meal from Brooks’ House of Bar-B-Q. Brooks’ happily catered her dream day, and The Plains even arranged for 12 of her family members to be there.
The Tree of Dreams Program has changed the lives of residents at The Heritage at The Plains at Parish Homestead for the better. It will continue to do so as staff members begin to brainstorm their next dream-come-true in January.
