News

Outpouring of thanks for Family Dinners

January 17th, 2020

For the past five years, Points West Living Stettler has been quietly hosting special family gatherings for seasonal celebrations. This past Christmas, the local newspaper did a feature on the tradition, and that gave the whole community the chance to say 'Thank You' in a very public way.

It's like a gala

The Family Dinners are held each Christmas season and again around Valentine’s Day. Residents are able to welcome family members and other guests to an elegant evening of dining with tablecloths, centerpieces, and subdued lighting and music. Dinners are served in the intimate ‘cottage’ dining areas as well as in the main dining room, which can accommodate up to sixty people for a sit down dinner. What started in 2014 with two sittings over one evening has grown to four nights with one sitting each. The event has become so popular that guests are booking their tickets in October to be sure of a spot for the Christmas dinner. 

Recreation Therapist, Lisa Smith says the evening is more than a special dinner for the residents and guests. “Residents and care partners treat it almost like a gala,” she says. “Our hair stylist finds out which day each resident is attending, and does their hair that day. Everyone dresses up really nicely, and we take festive photos of residents and their families.” And the food served is always top quality, this time with steak and shrimp on the menu.

Practise makes perfect young servers

Much of the impetus behind the event, including involving local youth in serving at the dinners, comes from kitchen care partner Shelley Berry-Bryce. “It was Shelley’s idea to bring in the Stettler Storm hockey players three years ago when her husband was coach,” says Lisa. And that system has continued and expanded to include four different youth groups, with more offering their volunteer services. “Shelley trains all of the young volunteers,” says Lisa. “They practiced pouring and serving, and during the dinner, you could see they knew exactly what to do and when to do it.”

Social media affirmation

Residents, families, and parents of the young volunteers took to Facebook to express their gratitude to PWL Stettler for the wonderful dinners, and to the volunteer young people for providing such attentive and ‘impeccable’ service to the diners. It was their enthusiastic social media posts that lead to the local newspaper covering the event (Stettler Independent: Bringing families together during the Christmas season).

Photo: Debbie Tenzer, whose husband John is a resident at PWL Stettler started the social media outpouring with her Facebook thanks to Points West and the Stettler Storm hockey team and their coaches, “who served us with love, respect and smiles. It was a wonderful dinner.”

More photos at Flickr: Outpouring of thanks for Family Dinners at PWL Stettler