Making a Difference
One resident at a time.
Ben Montoney started with The Christian Village at Mason on June 29, 2004, as a dishwasher in the kitchen at The Christian Village at Mason. Soon he moved into a Server position in the Dining Room. In this role Ben was a part of a team who helped ensure that mealtime was the best it could be for our residents. Ben began to display a true respect and affection for our residents and a terrific work ethic that was obvious to everyone around him.
Ben eventually developed an interest in working in Maintenance, so in September 2011 he started working part-time in Dining Services and part-time in Maintenance, transitioning full-time in Maintenance later that year. While in the Maintenance department Ben continued to excel and exemplify the core values of our organization. His natural bent toward technical abilities served him well. Having expressed a desire to learn and to grow in his career, in July 2017 after desiring and preparing, CVM was pleased to send Ben to technical school to receive a HVAC mechanical certification.
Ben and his wife Lauren live in West Chester and have 2 children, Theo who is 2 ½ years old and Ellie who is 10 months old. When Ben is not at work he enjoys playing with his children, doing things around the house and when he has time he likes to fish. Ben is also active at Lakota Hills Baptist Church and recently started teaching Citizenship at their ESL classes on Wednesday nights.
We are blessed to have Ben as a part of the CVM team. He is very dedicated, reliable, works hard and cares for our residents and their needs. His sixteen-year journey with us has taken him from washing dishes in the kitchen to the technical role of repairing and installing HVAC. Ben is an employee who exemplifies our Core Values (Respect, Integrity, Teamwork & Excellence).
Thanks, Ben, for all that you do for our community!
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When residents are asked what they enjoy most about living at Maple Knoll, their answer is almost always the employees. And when our employees are asked what they enjoy most about working at Maple Knoll, their answer is always the residents.
Working in the caregiving profession can be extremely challenging at times, but it is also some of the most rewarding work a person can do. While the last few years have not been easy for anyone, Maple Knoll Village residents and staff took the unexpected obstacles thrown our way and used them to our advantage to come together as an improved community as a whole.
Administration used this time to evaluate our campus and see areas in which we could improve. This included the addition of a 24-Hour Marketplace, the renovated Bistro on the Green, and the new and improved Mane Street Hair Salon. These additions and renovations not only benefit the residents on our campus, but also our employees. We were also able to provide free lunches to employees for a substantial amount of time as well as provide them with hard to find items during this period like toilet paper, bread, and sanitizing wipes.
We were blown away by how quickly our employees stepped up during this time. They went above and beyond to check in on our residents and ensure that their needs were being met. This was done by daily phone calls, socially distanced home visits, free meal deliveries, and weekly goodie bags. Staff also worked in tandem with family members to help residents set up and schedule video calls so no one had to go without seeing their loved ones, even if it was virtual. Many employees also stepped out of their comfort zone and helped out in entirely different departments when needed.
Our residents, who never cease to amaze us, found new and creative ways to stay busy and have fun. They participated in making funny TikTok videos to spread cheer and happiness across the nation, met new neighbors who became great friends, wrote cards to skilled nursing residents, and learned new hobbies such as woodworking and knitting.
Having employees and residents who genuinely care about the well-being of each other is the embodiment of what it means to live and work at Maple Knoll Village.
More Than a Meal – EverHeart Hospice Patient Has Wish Granted
Every Tuesday, you could find Merlin Booker and his wife of 73 years, Marjorie, sharing a meal at their favorite spot, Rob’s Restaurant.
When Sarah Tipple, EverHeart Hospice Aide, heard of Merlin’s special memories with his late wife who had passed last October, she knew she wanted to try to get Merlin back to their old spot through EverHeart’s Corynna’s Wish program.
Corynna’s Wish is a program that helps patients and their families fulfill a wish they cannot accomplish because of financial or physical conditions.
“When Sarah said they were going to make it happen, getting him back to Rob’s, he was so excited. Every day he’d ask what day it was, counting down the days to go.”
“I wish someone else could’ve seen the way his face lit up when I told him we were going. He was talking about what he was going to eat before we even went,” stated Tipple.
Throughout the day, local photographer Brittany Noble noticed several people approach Mr. Booker and thank him for his military service, as he was wearing his Veteran hat that day. As she observed everything happening that day, she commented on how knowledgeable the aide, Sarah Tipple, was in interacting with Booker.
“Sarah knew exactly what he liked and where he wanted to go. It was like she was part of the family too,” said Noble. “She knew every little detail.” Kristi Strawser, Corynna’s mother, shared about the “Corynna’s Wish” program, “To Corynna, it was about the gestures that mean just as much as the big ones. It’s about the people you meet through the journey and what you can give to others.”
Tipple shared after the dinner, “I know he really enjoyed it. He was emotional when we got back to the house. It was very special to him and his family.”
“He and mom, that was their thing. It meant a lot to us that he got his wish, and he could go, and we got him there. It made everyone feel really happy for him; we were so happy to see him happy,” stated Mr. Booker’s daughter.
Merlin passed away just a few weeks later, joining his wife once again, where perhaps they are again spending Tuesdays together sharing a meal at their favorite spot.