Spotlights

Spotlights

Spotlight

Cathy went to this Board of Supervisor’s event as the Miss Wheelchair representative for Virginia.  She volunteered at The Arc for many years.

 

 

Anyone familiar with Cathy Parr knows that she is very patriotic, as well as friendly.  She goes to D.C. every Memorial Day by herself.   She likes to visit with the Rolling Thunder guys & gals when they are there.  This year she visited some of the Memorials & was asked by a gentleman with the VWMF (Vietnam Women’s Memorial Foundation) to participate in their small ceremony.

On Saturday, May 1, 2021, the date of the running of the Kentucky Derby, Jennifer and her husband, Mark Mercer, held a fund-raising party at their home in Reynolds Lake Oconee, Georgia — roughly 85 miles east of Atlanta — to benefit Merica House and its residents.  This was the third fund-raiser that Jennifer and Mark have held for Merica House.  There were approximately 80 guests at the party, all friends of the Mercers.  Many of the guests came wearing attire and festive hats that are popular at the Churchill Downs racetrack on Derby day.  Jennifer and Mark prepared food and refreshments for the party.  There was musical entertainment by Tim Cadiere and the Washboard Road Band, which bill themselves as “the best musicians south of the Mason-Dixon Line.”  Jennifer and Mark and their guests donated more than $7,200 for Merica House.

 

   

Sara’s Birthday

Sara is quiet & serious but very sweet.  The aide named Barie always leads the singing of Happy Birthday.

Autumn Craft Day

Christmas 2021 Decorating

2021 Christmas Party

Because of the Pandemic the Board members still didn’t want to have a Christmas party so the residents & Roxane had one with the aides. Roxane ordered food from Nuts.com & Swiss Colony.  Each of the aides got a gift card from Roxane & APD.

January Birthday Party for Four Aides

Roxane gave birthday gifts to the aides all year.  The ladies usually got flower arrangements that Roxane made.  Most of the men got plants.  Being January, Roxane didn’t get a plant for Abou. He got a coffee cup & a nice pen.  Note: one of the four aides was not able to attend.

Tracy’s Birthday Party

Tracy is pretty much everyone’s favorite aide.  She’s silly & fun.  Her birthday party made her cry because, she said, no one had ever done so much for her birthday.

Cathy Visits Sharita’s Gravesite

“On Monday, may 23, 2022, Cathy Parr, one of the first residents at Merica House, visited the gravesite of Sharita Caple, another first resident at Merica House. Cathy & Sharita grew up together, knew each other most of their lives. They considered themselves sisters & it was a big loss for Cathy when Sharita suddenly became ill and passed a couple of years ago. Cathy visits her gravesite every year. Cathy still talks about her & refers to her as her sister. They were very very close. Cathy was close to Sharita’s family & Sharita called Cathy’s Mom “Mom.” Pictures are of Cathy at the gravesite & a portrait taken of Sharita a year or so before she died by my husband, Mike Burkhart.” – Roxane

 

Barie’s Birthday

Joe Durbin, Matt Renfro ,Barie Alhassan, Hali Omar and Frank Conteh