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The Holiday Spirit
Winter brings chilly air and shorter days, but it doesn’t slow down the fun at Our Lady of Peace!
This winter, we found ourselves making memories and having a blast. A New York-themed happy hour brought the excitement of the Big Apple to our community.
A chili cook-off and tea social helped us warm our bodies and spirits, and holiday celebrations helped us make new memories.
Read all about these stories and more in our Winter 2023-2024 Newsletter today!
Honors and Celebrations
A Salute to Our Veterans:
An Honor Celebration was recently held to commemorate Veterans Day and show gratitude to our amazing group of retired servicemen and women. The event was hosted jointly by Life Enrichment Director Sherry Beverage and Gentiva Hospice’s Kate Daniels. Our Lady of Peace resident veterans spoke about their branch of the military, years of service, and where they were stationed…. Download our newsletter to read the full article.
This fall, Our Lady of Peace celebrated Veterans Day, honored a Shining Star in our community, had fun at Halloween, and so much more. Read all about this and more in our Fall 2023 Marketing Newsletter. Download a copy to read at home or pick up a copy when you visit our front desk (until they’re gone!).
Readers' Choice Awards!
Thank you for voting for Our Lady of Peace in the Daily Progress 2023 Readers’ Choice Awards! We are proud to be recognized in multiple categories:
Best Senior Living Community
Favorite Non-Profit Organization
Favorite Place to Work
A special thanks to our amazing team members who make our community the wonderful place that it is for residents and families. You are shining stars!
Sweet Summertime
Music, food, fun, and friends!
These words are the perfect summary of the season at Our Lady of Peace. A special concert helped us support friends at a local organization, We Bring the Music. Guests and residents were tapping their toes and clapping their hands to a variety of bands as Peace hosted a unique fundraiser to support the group.
In July, it didn’t feel like Christmas, but we celebrated like it was here! Plus, we’ve gotten to know our friends – both new and old – a bit better. Read all about this and more when you download our Quarterly Marketing Newsletter for Summer 2023 or pick up a hardcopy in our lobby.
Spring Fling and Fun
The new season has things in bloom, warm air, sunny afternoon, and lots of fun. Our Spring Fling event was the hit of Charlottesville, with families, friends, neighbors, and guests attending to enjoy the great food, music, games – even a petting zoo.
We’ve also been making memories with friends. From special occasions and holiday celebrations to time spent in the great outdoors, there is a plethora of events to look forward to.
Read all about these activities, plus a recent resident reunion, in our Spring 2023 Marketing Newsletter!
Winter Wonders
This winter has been a lovely time at Our Lady of Peace. 
There were many highlights of the holiday season – including gift-giving, Santa visits, special celebrations with family and friends, and much more! Plus, what has become an annual tradition at Peace: horse-drawn carriage rides around our campus.
Special animal guests and a community-wide health fair were a few of the other fun and interesting events that we hosted recently. Read all about them and see the festive photos in our Winter 2022-23 Newsletter!
It's All About Fall!
Our latest quarterly marketing newsletter is out! Visit our front desk to pick up a copy, or click here to download the PDF.
You can read all about the special outings and in-house events that our residents have been taking part in during this crisp, autumn season. From lunch out at our favorite restaurant to Halloween parties and much more, residents have been having a blast at Peace this season!
Summer Fun at Peace
If you’re wondering what our residents have been up to this summer, the answer is “a lot!”
Have you seen the amazing things our residents can do? A recent talent exhibit gave us a little glimpse into the many gifts our residents have shared with the world, and it helped us get to know them better as well.
A few residents have spent time in front of the camera (serving as the “stars” of our new TV commercials). While others have kicked back “at the beach” during our indoor Beach Party Bash.
Read these stories and more in our latest Our Lady of Peace community newsletter.
OLOP Wins Daily Progress Awards
The Our Lady of Peace team appreciates the Charlottesville community for their continued trust and support. Thank you to everyone who voted for us in the Daily Progress Readers’ Choice Awards for 2022!
We were honored to be selected as Winner in two categories and a Favorite in three others:
- Winner: Best Senior Living Community
- Winner: Best Boss, Sara Warden
- Favorite: Non-Profit Organization
- Favorite: Best Work Culture
- Favorite: Best Place to Work
A special thanks are in order to the people who make our community an amazing place to live, work, and visit – our residents, families, and team members!
A Hopping Good Time: Spring Newsletter
Check out our spring newsletter to read all about the latest happenings at Our Lady of Peace. Nothing says “spring” more than Easter celebrations. Residents had a “hopping” good time hanging out with the Easter bunny and posing for photos with him.
Now that the weather is warm, we’ve taken full advantage of our beautiful outdoor spaces, including our front porch and back patio— we have the photos to prove it! And have you met our real, in-house donut queen? Read more in our Spring 2022 Quarterly Newsletter!
Holiday Celebrations & More: Winter Newsletter
The holiday season is perhaps the most exciting, busy, and special time of the year here at Our Lady of Peace. And this Christmas, we had a full schedule of fun events, celebrations, and opportunities to make memories with friends and family members.
We also explore our artistic and creative sides – from an art show to an employee Chili Cook-Off.
Finally, we were happy to honor our long-tenured employee, Pam Butler, on her retirement from her role as Administrator. (Lucky for us, we will still see Pam working part-time at Peace – and we are thrilled about that!)
Read all of that and more in our Winter Community Newsletter.
"Fun Times" at Peace - Summer Newsletter
See what’s new at Our Lady of Peace! From carnivals and gardening to artwork and new programs. Download our most recent newsletter to read all about what’s been happening in our community:
Our Lady of Peace Quarterly Newsletter: Summer 2021 Issue
Hardcopies are available at Our Lady of Peace (quantities are limited). Inquire at the front desk.
New Awards! OLOP Recognized by Readers of the Daily Progress
At Our Lady of Peace, we pride ourselves in our reputation of caring for our resident family and our dedicated team members. We are so thankful to the Charlottesville community for their continued trust and support.
We were honored in six categories in the Daily Progress Readers’ Choice Awards for 2021, including recognition as Winner for Best Senior Living Community!
A special thanks are in order to our amazing residents, families, and team members who have worked together throughout the pandemic to ensure that Our Lady of Peace remained a wonderful place to live and work regardless of circumstance.
Daily Progress Article: Peace Residents Begin their Return to "Normal
” ‘We just like to be together and it doesn’t make any difference what we see or do together,’ resident Margaret Tollefson said….”
It’s a sentiment many Our Lady of Peace residents and their families can relate to. The quote, from the recent Daily Progress article—”Seniors enjoying return to more normal routines”—featured several Peace residents, family members, and team members.
Those interviewed for this special story shared their pandemic experience, reflecting on what the last year has brought and their excitement for a return to normal. Click the link above to download and read the full article by Katherine Knott, courtesy of the Daily Progress.
A Reason to Smile! Quarterly Newsletter Now Available
It’s here!
Don’t miss the latest edition of our quarterly marketing newsletter. Click here to download a PDF of the Winter 2020-21 issue! Read about our recent vaccination clinics, feel-good news from around the Peace community, and reflections on a lovely holiday season. Interested in a hardcopy? Contact the front desk (quantities are limited!).
Drive-thru Trick-or-Treating is a Hit!
Our Lady of Peace was recently featured on NBC29 for our drive-thru trick-or-treating event held on Saturday, October 31. Check out the article and segment, here.
Celebrating Halloween was fun for all of our attendees, as well as our team members and residents who were able to safely hand out candy and wave to all the kids. We counted 222 children who came through during the event!
Connecting with the local community is so important to our residents and staff – we were so glad to have this opportunity to give back and make this holiday special for our local little ones!
What Our Residents are Saying: Barbara Allison
We recently received this note of appreciation from Our Lady of Peace resident Barbara Allison.
In June of 2019 the facility where I had resided for over a year announced that in a few months it would be closed. Where would I go?
My sister, who lives in Virginia, mentioned Our Lady of Peace in Charlottesville, only 3 miles from their home… would I consider moving from Pennsylvania to Virginia? WOW! She and her husband offered to bring me down for a visit to check it out… I declined, asking THEM to check it out, trusting their judgement.
Now that I am at Our Lady of Peace for almost a year, I can honestly say that it was the best move ever. Here I feel loved, respected and not alone. The administration and staff are the best… and that was before the coronavirus hit.
There is no rule book for how to deal with this virus and the care and safety of the elderly here.
But this administration and staff are doing just that. At great inconvenience to themselves they have kept all of us safe…of course we must cooperate too and make the best of a different world.
Every day there are many knocks to my door checking my health, bringing meals, taking care of trash, bringing menus for the next day and at this point inviting us to go outside for a walk and fresh air…with a mask of course. Our chaplain Chad has been great at uplifting spirits!
I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, especially now. Here I feel safe, loved, respected and not alone.
Readers' Choice Awards
Our Lady of Peace placed in six categories of the 2019 Daily Progress Readers’ Choice Awards.
Recognitions include:
Winner: Best Work Culture
Runner-Up: Senior Living Community
Runner-Up: Best Benefits
Runner-Up: Best Boss, Sara Warden
Runner-Up: Place to Work
Honorable Mention: Non-Profit Organization
We are extremely honored and thankful to the Charlottesville community for their continued trust and support. Thank you!
Awards
Our Lady of Peace placed in six categories of the Daily Progress Readers’ Choice Awards – a 2018 record!
Recognitions include:
1st Place: Senior Living Community
1st Place: Pay
1st Place: Employee Benefits
1st Place: Work Culture
2nd Place: Boss, Sara Warden
3rd Place: Place to Work
Click here to read the full article!
We have also been recognized by Our Health Magazine with their 2018 Gold Award for Memory Care.
Now Hiring
Listen to our staff talk about what makes Our Lady of Peace a special place to work.
In the News
In May, The Daily Progress highlighted our amazing nursing department in their special Salute to Nurses issue. You can read the article, “Nurse at senior living community: confidant, friend and family member,” below. Special thanks to our dedicated nurses – you truly make Our Lady of Peace a special place!
