In late August of this year, Belmont Village Senior Living communities in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Orange County engaged with locals so that they could share their dedication for environmentally-conscious pursuits during the first ever “Belmont Blooms Fest”. This lively and spirited event series showcased senior residents’ support for eco-friendly causes such as nature conservation, climate reform, recycling and more through educational booths, art projects, interactive activities, and farm to table food offerings, sharing their aspiration to leave a better world for the coming generations.
“Belmont Blooms Fest was born out of our residents’ passion and commitment to the environment, and we’re proud of the way all our communities and staff came together to host these fun and educational events for such worthy causes,” says Patricia Will, Founder & CEO of Belmont Village Senior Living. “We encourage our residents to stay active in their local communities, share their knowledge on causes that are close to their hearts and to embrace the meaningful impact they have on the lives around them.”
“Belmont Blooms Fest” was the result of months of thoughtful preparation, during which each community tested out environmentally focused programs and tailored activities through dedicated “Belmont Blooms” campaigns. Through this initiative, the talents and vision of residents and staff across California were showcased in a way that spotlighted their passion and devotion for environmental causes.
The event kicked off in the Bay Area on August 23rd, where residents from Belmont Village Senior Living Albany, Sunnyvale, and Los Gatos gathered at Belmont Village’s San Jose community to highlight the importance of nature conservation. The event began with opening remarks by Belmont Village San Jose Executive Director, Natalie Barman, and a nutritious luncheon that showcased locally sourced produce. Guests enjoyed resident-made presentations, including a floral display of artwork made of paint and ceramics, as well as a regional food display featuring home grown produce from resident-tended gardens. Guests also enjoyed Interactive activities such as flower arranging, soap making, and coffee ground composting. The event closed with a joyful visit from Animal Assisted Happiness, known best as “The Smile Farm,” and attendees were delighted to go home with lavender aromatherapy bags and coffee compost materials to encourage them to continue making environmentally friendly choices.
On August 25th, the Los Angeles “Belmont Blooms Fest” was hosted at Belmont Village Senior Living Calabasas, and welcomed 150 seniors from Belmont Village’s Burbank, Encino, Thousand Oaks, Hollywood and Westwood communities to focus on conservation and climate reform. Executive Director of Belmont Village Calabasas, Nancy Nelson, gave an inspiring speech about how seniors can make a difference in addition to introducing local dignitaries, including former Calabasas Mayor David Shapiro, Sarah Martin of Representative Jesse Gabriel’s office, Anthony Demas from the Calabasas Chamber of Commerce and Katherine Pakadouni from the Micro Foresting Project. Attendees enjoyed a classic California taco truck lunch and then made their way through six interactive booths that focused on ocean cleanliness, planting flowers that attract bees, the Blue Zone, California native vegetation, e-waste, tree planting and micro forests with each theme reflected on colorfully decorated community buses for all to enjoy. Finally, Belmont Village seniors utilized recyclable materials to create unique, artistic sculptures in a symbolic effort to highlight the importance of recycling and reusing waste materials.
Belmont Village Aliso Viejo’s “Blooms Fest” hosted communities on August 26th from the San Diego area, including Belmont Village Rancho Palos Verdes, La Jolla, Sabre Springs, and Cardiff by the Sea, and residents from Belmont’s Scottsdale, AZ community. Seniors shared the importance of planet conservation and sustainability with the local community, who were welcomed into a serene meditation garden that highlighted residents’ environmentally conscious words of wisdom posted along a path that showcased resident-tended gardens. Aliso Viejo Mayor, Ross Chun, and Belmont Village Senior Living Executive Director, Rosa Ayala, warmly welcomed attendees. Gregg Moore and Bill Moorhead from the Moulton Niguel water district
shared water conservation tips and information regarding desalination plants to further guests’ education. Guests enjoyed community displays, which featured educational tips, costumes, interactive upcycling and recycling displays, bees, marine life, butterfly conservation, gardening advice, and much more.
“The success of Blooms Fest is wholly attributed to the creativity, collaboration and dedication of our residents and staff,” says Adam Dimacali, Belmont Village Vice President of Memory Care and Activity Programs – West. “We accomplished what we set out to do, and guests left the events with a renewed commitment to environmental conservation and ample enthusiasm to take additional steps towards living a more eco-conscious life.”