Meet The Woodlands and Harvest Hill Director of Food Services, Sam Fazio
Hear Director of Food Service for Harvest Hill and The Woodlands, Sam Fazio, talk about why he loves what he does and what makes the dining staff so good at what they do.
Meet The Woodlands Executive Chef Charlie Barnes
Charlie was born and raised in Bar Harbor, Michigan where he and his sister lived with extended family. Charlie became interested in food at a young age. He fondly remembers cooking with his grandmother when he was six years old and stealing the cookies they made together. He also enjoyed picking apples and cherries in the local orchards.
Charlie started college planning to major in civil engineering but realized that he loved to cook while waiting tables at a local restaurant, Captain Nicks, and being pulled in one evening to be a line cook. He went on to earn a business management degree from the University of Maine and attended culinary school in Maine as well.
Charlie moved to New Hampshire and worked at the Lake Sunapee Country Club in New London. He was then hired to be the Executive Chef at Café Nouveau in Eastman, New Hampshire and later at the Quechee Club in Vermont. He took a sabbatical but missed cooking and came to work for our assisted living community, Harvest Hill, as a chef. When the Executive Chef position became available at APD’s independent living community, The Woodlands Senior Living, he jumped at the opportunity.
Charlie loves to cook and try new menu items at The Woodlands, but most of all he loves our residents.
“They are a group of great people with great stories,” Charlie says.
Chef Barnes recently expanded the dinner menu to offer more variety for residents. They now have added options to mix and match and pick and choose from. Buying local ingredients is paramount to Charlie, and he uses seasonal products to support local farms.
When he is not busy in the Harvest Hill kitchen whipping up fresh, healthy, and delicious fare for the residents, Charlie enjoys working on hot-rods, boating, fishing, and cross-country skiing. Every night he looks forward to tucking his eight-year-old son into bed.
Meet Harvest Hill Resident Beverly Weeks
Beverly Weeks put a deposit down for an apartment 20 years ago when Harvest Hill was just breaking ground. Well, she finally moved in last November. She’s getting every penny’s worth of that deposit, too, taking advantage of all the community has to offer, trying out new activities, getting to know her neighbors and is so pleased to call Harvest Hill home.
The Harvest Hill community creates a new lifestyle for Beverly after living as a single working person for over 40 years. She was born in Chicago, Illinois but moved to Lebanon in the early 60s, then to White River Junction before moving to Harvest Hill.
Her daughter and son graduated from Lebanon High School, and both now live out of state. Beverly began to volunteer at the Lebanon Junior High School helping students with learning difficulties in the late 1970s. To become a licensed special education teacher Beverly commuted to Keene State College in Keene, New Hampshire for three years while working full-time at the junior high school. She earned a master’s degree in education in 1987. Upon retirement from the Lebanon school district, she embarked on a new career working part-time in the floral department of the Hanover Co-op Food Store in Hanover, New Hampshire. Her floral career lasted 18 years.
“As I had an undergraduate degree in biology, I was familiar with plants, but had no training in design techniques, sales, or marketing. My co-workers were excellent teachers and very supportive. It was truly a learning experience,” Beverly says.
Beverly shares an apartment with her cat, Violet who is, “head of the household.” She has an assortment of plants that need a green thumb and greatly enjoys the Harvest Hill Conservatory with plants “that bring color to a gray or snowy day,” Beverly says.
As reading is her favorite pastime, she is pleased that the Harvest Hill library is “outstanding and so well organized I do not want for anything to read,” Beverly says.
She has gotten more involved in her new home and accepted a three-year appointment as a member-at-large on the Executive Board of Harvest Hill Residents Association. Concerns expressed by residents and staff are shared with board members.
“Living at Harvest Hill is so comfortable and pleasant. The staff members called me by name soon after my arrival. They are all friendly and helpful. The activities abound thanks to the energy of Activities Director, Carla Venti. There is something for anyone who wishes to participate,” Beverly says.
Beverly enjoyed the recent Mardi Gras Party Carla organized, complete with New Orleans food treats, beads, decorations, and live music from the Dixieland band that played handclapping, singing, toe- tapping tunes, “and lots of smiles complimented the laughter and good cheer of this event,” Beverly says.
Beverly appreciates the ever-changing selection of food provided by the Harvest Hill kitchen. Residents enjoy choosing from a wide variety of healthy fresh foods and requests are usually honored, from fancy fare to the basics.
Meet Harvest Hill Resident Ray
We’ve introduced Ray before, but in this recent video interview you can hear from him directly about his move to Harvest Hill. Enjoy!
Watch the Video Interview
Meet Brian Pike, Harvest Hill’s Kitchen Manager/Head Chef
Each day, Kitchen Manager/Head Chef Brian Pike wakes up with just one objective: ensuring that residents of Harvest Hill enjoy a fulfilling culinary experience suited to their individual tastes and preferences.
Brian has worked in food service in one form or another for more than 30 years. He started in the Harvest Hill kitchen as a prep cook and worked his way into new positions over 20 years before being promoted to his current role in 2021.
“I’ve really enjoyed working at Harvest Hill, and I have so many fond memories of time spent with staff and residents,” said Brian. “Serving our residents is important to me and my team because Harvest Hill is their home. It’s our mission to make sure they are comfortable, satisfied and enjoying tasty, nutritious meals every day.”
As Kitchen Manager/Head Chef, Brian is responsible for ordering all the food, equipment and necessities for the Harvest Hill kitchen, preparing daily and weekly menus, scheduling staff shifts, and managing staff to ensure food quality, cleanliness and the daily operations of the kitchen. Brian also helps coordinate Harvest Hill’s monthly resident meeting, where residents come together with kitchen staff to provide feedback on various menu items and offer suggestions for new dishes.
“Our goal as a food service team is to provide healthy, delicious meals for residents every day,” said Brian. “We provide three meals a day, 365 days a year, so it’s a big task at times, but we tackle the challenge head on. It takes the support of all of our kitchen staff to make it happen.”
Brian hails from Ascutney, a small village in the town of Weathersfield, Vermont. He began in food service as a deli and pizza cook while attending high school in Claremont, New Hampshire. He went on to work at resorts throughout Vermont, including the Ascutney Mountain Resort, Okemo Mountain Resort, and Hawk Inn, where he also filled in front-of-house as a server, bartender and manager.
In his role today, Brian said he most enjoys interacting with Harvest Hill residents, getting to know them and hearing their stories, dreaming up new specials and hearkening back to old favorites, all while cooking up creative, nutritious dishes that can put a smile on their face.
“I’ve always enjoyed being involved with customer service, and I love working with our residents,” Brian said.
Meet Woodlands Resident Molly Bonhag
Since moving to The Woodlands in September 2020, longtime Lebanon resident Molly Bonhag said she has met a wonderful group of friends, broadened her social circle and discovered a meaningful, new form of community.
“Living at The Woodlands has been wonderful,” said Molly. “It’s everything I was hoping it would be. What’s interesting about this place is you can be as social or as private as you choose to be, and people are very accepting. I think it’s a very good thing because it accommodates everybody’s differences and choices.”
So far, Molly has also enjoyed getting involved in the various on-campus, resident-organized activities available for anyone to try.
“We have a lot of exercise classes, we have a gym, we have Tai Chi,” said Molly. “I also play the piano for The Woodlands chorus, and another resident and I take turns playing the piano for our monthly socials. We used to have singalongs but since COVID, we’ve had hum-a-longs!”
Molly’s life has always been full of music. She started playing the piano at age five, switching to the organ in high school. In 1990, she, her husband and three children moved to Lebanon, where she worked as a music teacher. There, she also ran a preschool program called Kindermusik, gave piano lessons, and was a church organist and choir director.
While it’s been somewhat of an adjustment moving from a large house to a smaller apartment, Molly said she has everything she needs and loves having the built-in benefits of a social community.
“After my husband died, I was living in Lebanon all by myself in this big house, and as the fall turned into winter and the only people whom I’d see were the two coming to work on my house, I realized I needed to be somewhere with more of a community,” said Molly. “Now, at The Woodlands, my apartment is a two-bedroom with a den and two bathrooms, and I park in a heated garage. I don’t need anything more than that.”
“Another thing I love about being here is that the staff makes suggestions — they don’t make rules,” Molly added. “They treat us like adults. And the maintenance staff is so eager to help in any way, whether hanging a picture or helping to figure out how to use your TV! Today, Residents have to wear a mask if they go outside their apartment, but we’re all willing to do it for the sake of everybody. We really feel like a community here and that what we do impacts other people.”
Meet Woodlands Residents Jim and Brooke Adler
From the moment they moved in, Jim and Brooke Adler were impressed by The Woodlands, from the food, to our helpful maintenance staff, and welcoming residents – many who have since become friends. While communal living “is an adjustment after over 50 years living together on our own,” said Jim, “it was an easier one than I would have imagined.” The Woodlands is “first class,” adds Brooke. Watch the video to hear more about why the Adlers love living at The Woodlands!
Watch the Video Interview
Meet Harvest Hill Resident Gretchen Fairweather
After moving to Harvest Hill in July, independent living resident Gretchen Fairweather has only good things to say about it, from the community’s staff to the interesting residents, activity choices and delicious food, to her comfortable apartment.
“It’s a very friendly, warm environment, and there’s always a lot going on,” said Gretchen, 78. “The staff is terrific, and the food is unbelievable. I couldn’t get over it! I’ve made some good friends, and my apartment is the perfect size for me.”
According to Gretchen, she actually set her mind on moving to Harvest Hill years ago. Working in Lebanon, her daily drive by Mascoma Street took her past a large building site, which she assumed was an addition to Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital.
“I’d just drive by it and wonder what it was,” she said. “It got bigger and prettier, and then one day I just drove into the driveway and found out it was going to be a retirement community. I decided right then and there that’s where I was going to live when the time came.”
Born in Rochester, New York, Gretchen grew up in Pennsylvania and attended The University of Vermont. She started her career at a Philadelphia publishing house, and later worked at Woman’s Day Magazine in New York City. It was there she met her husband, then a student at Columbia University.
After her husband secured a job teaching at the University of Connecticut, Gretchen took a job at the Willimantic Chronicle as a newspaper reporter. She spent her later career as a station manager for radio stations in Connecticut and New Hampshire and supported her husband and their two children while he attended medical school.
“I loved the people and the personalities I encountered working in radio! You get one announcer who wants to be the next Wolfman Jack, another who wants to be the next bigshot news reporter,” said Gretchen. “It was a lot of fun and I made a lot of friends.”
After she retired from radio, she and her family opened a bed and breakfast in West Hartford, Vermont for six years. She went on to spend a lot of her time volunteering: as a trail guide at a local natural museum, in the cancer center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, and at David’s House, a residence for families of children being treated there.
“It’s been a good life,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of wonderful experiences, and I have no regrets.”
Now, at Harvest Hill, Gretchen loves to remain active and involved, just as she always has. She loves that there is always something going on, whether it’s movies, van trips, live entertainment, lectures, classes, clubs or something else. She currently belongs to a book club, attends three exercise classes a week, and likes taking advantage of the nearby hiking and biking trails.
Most of all, though, Gretchen appreciates those parts of the community you can’t see from the outside: the people who work there. They’re the ones who make Harvest Hill truly special, she said.
“The staff here are just wonderful, from the nurses to the cleaning crew, to the maintenance men, to the people who work in the office,” said Gretchen. “And I think every resident here would say the exact same thing.”
Technology Tools Older Adults Can Enjoy
As we age, we want to do so actively and independently. Luckily, all sorts of technology is designed to help older adults do just that. Whether keeping in touch with people, tracking your health goals or being entertained, here are some technology tools you can use to your advantage.
Oversized Tablets: Some tech companies make oversized digital tablets specifically designed for seniors. Some, like the GrandPad Senior Tablet, run a customized version of Android that is easier to use than typical iPads, iPhones or Androids. It also has larger icons and text if you have vision issues and is designed more intuitively so you can easily click through to your destination.
Wearable Fitness Trackers: Companies such as FitBit make wearable technology to track health and physical fitness, and users can sync up trackers and watches with their phones to monitor fitness, sleep patterns, and more. Wearable fitness trackers are especially good for people who need extra reminders to take a daily walk or to keep up other habits that promote healthy aging.
AI Assistants: Seniors who enjoy Amazon AI technology may find this device of interest: the Echo Dot is a voice-activated and controlled speaker that uses Alexa technology to play music, control smart home devices, make calls, answer questions, set timers and alarms. Set up the device in your bedroom, living room or kitchen — wherever you spend most of your time.
Wireless Photo Frames: Wireless photo frames are a great way for seniors to keep in touch with friends and family by allowing you to send current pictures of what you’re up to in real time. Some brands such as the Nixlay Seed 10 Inch Wifi Digital Picture Frame allow you to share photos instantly via e-mail, or by connecting to Google Photos, Dropbox, Facebook and Instagram.
Video Conferencing: While nothing replaces face-to-face connections, video conferencing platforms like Skype, FaceTime or Zoom calls can be a very useful alternative for seniors to keep in touch. The Woodlands offers Wi-Fi in each apartment, so it’s easy to use aids like these to stay engaged with friends, enroll in interactive groups and classes, attend telehealth appointments and more.
For seniors, technology is about more than just the latest gadgets and apps and websites. Being tech-savvy helps you use those things to find new ways to learn, work and thrive in today’s digital age. To that end, we hope this list was helpful!
Meet Harvest Hill Housekeeping Manager Deb Baker
Among the many long-tenured staff members at Harvest Hill is Housekeeping Manager Deb Baker, who recently celebrated her 20th work anniversary at the community.
In her wide-ranging role at Harvest Hill, Deb is happy to take care of anything that needs doing. During the pandemic, when restrictions prevented residents from visiting the dining room, she helped deliver breakfast and lunch to their apartments. Typical days, though, tend to stick to a schedule, she said.
“I come in, get my housekeeping equipment and start cleaning the common areas. I always say good morning to the residents, who are usually getting up and heading to breakfast around that time,” said Deb, whose two longtime employees, Joanne Rogers and Stacey Jorgensen, have been with her for 16 years. “We clean anything that needs it, and we also clean 14 apartments a day, working around residents’ schedules.”
“The residents we clean for are just awesome people,” she added. “A lot of them can’t wait to see us — some stay in their apartments so they can ask what our week or weekend was like. They just want to chit chat. Sometimes they’ll have a little list of things for us to help them with, whether that means getting a container off the top shelf, opening a jar of jam or helping them put on a shoe.”
Deb has had experience with the elderly from a young age, she said. The oldest of six children, she was brought up around her grandparents and great grandmother, and, as a junior high student in the 70s, she volunteered after school reading and making crafts with residents at the nursing home that used to be run by Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital.
Deb has been married for 20 years and has a stepson, Adam; two daughters, Jennifer and Carrington, both born at Alice Peck Day; and two granddaughters. When she’s not working, she enjoys crafting, gardening, researching family genealogy, birdwatching, and doing photography, her favorite hobby.
Deb shoots weddings, high school senior pictures, and maternity photos, but most of all, loves photographing wildlife. Recently, Harvest Hill’s activities director asked her to bring in some of her work for display and give a talk to residents.
“I’m also the person who takes photos of the residents during some of the activities, and I always take a photo of new residents when they first move in,” said Deb. “That photo and a little write up go into an album that’s kept in the library, so if another resident wants to know who a certain resident is, they can just go into the library, open up the photo album and see.”
Looking back at her time at Harvest Hill, Deb said, building relationships with the residents and helping them with what they need has been extremely fulfilling.
“I’m proud of the things I do here,” she said. “It’s so rewarding. I love working with the residents. I love their stories. They’re all like grandparents to me.”
All photos below were taken by Deb Baker.
