One popular activity that residents at The Admiral like to participate in is volunteering.
“So many people at The Admiral at the Lake are volunteers within The Admiral or outside throughout the community and are an inspiration to others to volunteer as well,” Phil, a resident at The Admiral, said.
One of the many volunteer groups for residents to participate in if they so choose is Sarah’s Circle.
A 50-bed interim housing (shelter) program for women who are currently homeless, and permanent supportive housing for women who have a disabling condition and have been chronically homeless.
After a friend suggested that she bring her many excess toiletries to Sarah’s Circle, the group’s coordinator has been working with the shelter for decades.
An important part of outreach is consistency so that charities and non-profits can try to forecast, plan and better serve those in need. By creating a longstanding relationship with Sarah’s Circle, The Admiral is providing regular and much-needed help to the community’s homeless women in the form of volunteers, food, clothing, money and hygiene products. The Admiral was even recognized in 2018 as Sarah’s Circle’s “Volunteers of the Year” for its contributions. However, the work being done is also of great benefit to the residents as it illustrates that anyone can fall into homelessness through a series of adverse circumstances — the group helps shatter stereotypes of homelessness and serves as a humble reminder of the privilege of basic necessities.
If you are the creative type or enjoy the visual arts, you will be right at home at the Admiral.
Our hallways come alive with artwork created by residents, known Chicago artists and local art therapy organizations. Our Art Committee is responsible for several components: art workshops, exhibitions, receptions and speakers.
The Admiral at the Lake is fortunate to house a cozy art studio for individual use and group workshops. In the Creative Arts Studio, some residents lead workshops- oil painting, surface design and fun holiday-related art such as Valentines for Valentine's Day.
The studio comfortably accommodates 16, but for an activity such as our popular coloring book parties, 20 to 25 is workable. The room is open 24/7 and solely dedicated to art activities. Lockers are available for personal equipment, but a wide range of art supplies is available and free to all.
Residents, their family members and staff members are welcome to enjoy the Creative Arts Studio. Grandparents have been known to entertain their grandchildren in the art studio.
The classes are based on the capabilities of resident instructors and the wants and interests of the community. If there are a lot of sign-ups for a particular medium of art, the committee will make sure to provide more classes on that topic. Individual committee members are responsible for much of the programming. One resident hosts drop-in art workshops most Thursdays, with other residents organizing model-drawing and oil painting, amongst other things.
Art is always on view throughout the Admiral. An art collection from the “old Admiral“ has been vetted and installed throughout the public areas. And the Admiral, unlike many communities, encourages our residents to personalize the immediate space around their entry with art of their choosing.
The Hall Gallery hosts new exhibits bi-monthly with a wine and cheese reception for residents and the artists.
Our gallery exhibits range from resident art exhibits, both solo shows and group exhibits, to Chicago artists and local art therapy organizations. Residents and committee members refer artists for consideration.
The art committee also hosts presentations by artists and art speakers (ARTspeak) and arranges pop-up art projects that appear in the dining area lockers (Art Inside the Box).
Anyone is welcome to join or get involved in the committee. Residents are often attracted to the committee through the workshops and then may go on to suggest an artist for the gallery, or even display their own work.
If you’ve ever read Kendal’s Values and Practices, you’ll notice that health and wellness is our top priority.
What does the Health and Wellness Liaison Committee do?The goal of the committee is to enhance the experience of living at The Admiral by addressing issues that affect the physical and mental well-being of residents. The committee further advises management on such issues while maintaining an on-going relationship with the staff to support these goals.
Committee meetings are well attended by the Wellness team as well as Health Services and Culinary Services when necessary. The agenda for these meetings includes some of the following:
The residents play a role in determining which fitness programs will be added to the schedule by analyzing residents’ interests, needs and functional capabilities.
The most sought-out programs by residents are the higher-level intensity classes which take place in the mornings. These classes include Strength and Balance, Aerobics and the Strength Circuit. Aquatic Classes are also amongst the most popular.
Fitness programs have many benefits, which include:
Who wants to get their hands dirty in the garden? The Gardening Group enjoys taking an active role in keeping the inside and outside of The Admiral looking beautiful with flowers and plants.
The gardening group has many duties and takes on new ones frequently. The programs are planned based on the collective brainstorming and prior experiences of the group members. Some of the most notable duties include:
Meetings are held twice a month, which are separate from the “work days” where actual gardening and planting takes place. Work days happen as often as three times a week in the summer months.
In group meetings, there are a variety of topics discussed. Example discussions include gardening projects for harbors residents, the watering schedules, a bee-keeping proposal, the spring plant sale and the 2019 garden trip schedule.
The Gardening Group publicizes through the bulletin boards and word-of-mouth which goes a long way in contributing to the group’s popularity.
The Lifelong Learning Committee at The Admiral at the Lake is responsible for establishing opportunities and programs for residents to continue to learn if they wish to.
The committee has established the following programs, amongst many others:
The committee welcomes alternative material and looks for strong, engaging speakers, not just those with a lot of knowledge to share.
The main benefits of lifelong learning come from the interactive nature of the sessions; the speakers engage in active question-and-answer sessions after every topic, with a guarantee of thought-provoking conversation. The speaker may even linger beyond the slotted time because of the dynamic exchange of information.
