EdenHill Communities Blessed by United Volleyball Association
What happens when 200 Youth Volleyball members and Residents of EdenHill spend an afternoon together? Extraordinary Holiday Cheer!
On Sunday, December 1st, players from the United Volleyball Association decorated the doors of over 60 Residents at EdenHill Communities. These young ladies demonstrated they have skills both on and off the volleyball court!
For the second year in a row, these 12–17-year old’s spent part of their Thanksgiving break giving back. The philanthropic event was carefully planned and coordinated.
Shelley Minus, who is the past President, current Board Member of the Association, as well as mother to one of the players, explained the rationale:
“Our nonprofit Association has always prioritized giving back to the Community. Tracy Smith, the Director of our club, has made this a focus. In years past we’ve organized food drives, but while these efforts are important, the bulk of the work fell on the girls’ parents.
By having the girls plan the door decorations, get together in advance to prep the materials, and hang all the decorations themselves, they were the ones who took ownership of the project. It helped plant the seeds of philanthropy from a young age.”
Minus also hoped the decorating would lead to meaningful interaction between the residents and players. Those hopes were most definitely realized.
One player described her experience with a resident who showed her the medals he’d earned when serving in war. Not only did the resident love sharing his story, but the player also stated she’d like to continue visiting with him in the future. Minus shares, “It’s great to see the joy these players receive as they’re building a Philanthropic spirit.”
Another Gentleman was adamant that he did not want the bother of having his door decorated. He made it clear in advance that he did not give permission, and he wanted to be left alone.
Ah, but the precious energy of youth is infectious! The resident was so intrigued by all the excitement that he came out of his room, spoke with the girls and gave permission for the Holiday décor. “The girls were super excited,” said Minus. “He didn’t want any part of us, but we won him over and got to decorate it!”, the girls shared.
Other volleyball players worked puzzles during the visit, spending extra time with the residents. And since this is the second year in a row the United Volleyball Association performed the decorations, several residents and players recognized each other, visited, and got caught up.
The event was such a success in 2023 that even more players participated this year. Those who missed it last year didn’t want to be left out. One family drove in from Houston, leaving a family gathering early to be sure all their supplies were dropped off. The players and families were truly committed.
Minus was inspired to decorate EdenHill because her grandfather, Jack Ohlrich had been a resident at EdenHill for more than a decade. In fact, the family recently celebrated Jack’s 100th birthday with friends and family on EdenHill’s campus. Although Jack passed away within weeks of the decorating event, Minus continued the tradition to honor her Grandfather, and help build intergenerational, meaningful connections. The event truly brought joy to both the givers and the receivers.
One unexpected surprise was that a nurse working with the residents at EdenHill used to play for the Volleyball club and was able to reconnect with others. Minus believes the experience can also help break down misperceptions of aging services and encourage entry into the nursing field.
EdenHill is truly grateful to the United Volleyball Association for their generosity, respectfulness and enthusiasm. They blessed our residents with the true Christmas Spirit. And we’re pretty certain the players left feeling their hearts warmed as well. As Minus says, “it has been a blessing to our club to be a part of EdenHill.”
For more information about these two nonprofit organizations, please visit unitedvba.org, and edenhill.org.
