Star Comforters Receive PANPHA Award - Landis Homes

Lancaster Mennonite senior Kristen Ciaccia, left, presents herwinning artwork to resident Miriam Housman.Student PhotographSelectedLandis Homes announced the Art Student Awardwinner for 2007 in May. A jury of five, representingLandis Homes residents and board, and theLancaster Mennonite art department, selected apiece by senior Kristen Ciaccia. Each year LandisHomes selects a piece of artwork from the LancasterMennonite High School Spring Fine Arts Festival tobecome part of the permanent art collection on theretirement community campus.Ciaccia, a 2007 graduate, is the daughter of Kathyand Ken Ciaccia of Honeybrook. In addition to herstudies she was involved in the school art club andthe National Honor Society. The subject of herblack and white photo is an antiques shop in Lititz.“It is a great honor to receive the Landis Homes Award for my photograph I call Nostalgia”, said Ciaccia. “Iappreciate Landis Homes supporting the arts at Lancaster Mennonite High School.”In return for the artwork, Landis Homes made contributions to the Lancaster Mennonite High art departmentand to further Ciaccia’s education. Her plan is to attend Shippensburg University in the fall to pursue herinterest in science.Linford Good in presenting the award to Ciaccia at the Lancaster Mennonite Awards assembly said, “Manypeople who live, work and visit will enjoy Kristen’s artwork displayed at Landis Homes.”He continued, “Landis Homes values this opportunity to encourage young artists and to support the ArtDepartment at Lancaster Mennonite School.”Star Comforters Receive PANPHA AwardContinued from Page 1long-term care and housing services for 68,000 elderly residents across the state.Association voting members employ 50,000 people and involve over 150,000volunteers, trustees, and auxiliary members. The Association is committed tohelping its members provide quality care efficiently and effectively for theindividuals and families they serve.Nominating materials for the group included facts and dates as well as letters ofrecommendation.“As a volunteer it has been a privilege to simply sit with dying residents. One man who could no longer speakcommunicated his awareness by patting my arm,” wrote one volunteer in her letter of recommendation.Another wrote, she and her sister had signed up to be Star Comforters because of their experiences in the deathof their mother. “We felt it was important to be with her, whether or not she could respond to our presence.”