Melvin Stinson (left), Myra Espree, Claire Gunn, and friends scrubbing walkers and wheelchairs to be sent to a developing country.

October 4, 2003:
"From Salem, with love"

On a bright and sunny Saturday afternoon, a group of residents, caregivers, and friends collected up all the old walkers and wheelchairs they could find. Then, with scrub brushes and old rags, they transformed what could have been a pile of junk into a collection of attractive, sturdy, and usable walkers, wheelchairs, and canes. The equipment will soon be sent "with love" to a hospital in a developing country where such items are scarce. The group, which was grateful for the chance to do something good for somebody else, has been led by rehab director Gina Meyer.

Thank you, Bishop O'Dowd High School for over $1,000 in homeroom donations!

September 9, 2003:

Eden Coordinator Doug Neff will be bringing high school students to Mercy and Salem throughout the upcoming school year. Doug now spends part of his time teaching religion at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland. The students there decided to name our Eden program as one of their featured charities this year and recently collected over $1,000 in homeroom donations. This money will be put to good use supporting our existing animals and plants, and hopefully even buying us some new ones. Thank you, students of Bishop O'Dowd!

The two cockatiel chicks grew to this size in just a few short weeks. They are getting hand-fed four times each day by Carol Upton, and already weigh as much as their parents.

September 2, 2003:
"New Cockatiel Chicks Already Bigger Than Parents"

Jordan and Maudie, the proud parents of these two little bundles of fluff, have been relieved of parenting duties for the time being. By hand-feeding them until they can eat on their own, we'll be raising them to be more tame for our residents and families. (No biting.) Although they don't seem to like the hand-feeding process very much, and most of the baby formula ends up all over them, they are obviously still growing, and our avian vet has given them a clean bill of health. We'll be having a naming ceremony before long, and we'll be sure to keep you posted!

Maudie, the new mother, guarding her chicks. Jordan is outside the nesting box, gathering food.

August 8, 2003:
"We're Having Babies!"

Jordan, everybody’s favorite, accident-prone cockatiel, has just become a father.

Two eggs from Maudie’s latest clutch were hatched on the 29th and 30th of July. So far, everything seems to be going fine. As is normal for cockatiels, Jordan and Maudie take turns sitting in the nesting box, guarding, feeding them, and keeping them warm. After four weeks, we will begin hand-feeding them, in order to raise them to be as tame and friendly as our other cockatiels.

Stay tuned for more news!

By the end of their first day together, Carol and Widget were already fast friends.

June 27, 2003:
"Tribute to an Absent Friend"

On June 27th, the Mercy community said good-bye to a very dear friend. Although his comical antics and cavalier attitude will never be forgotten, Widget’s daily presence in our lives will be sorely missed.

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Roger Luna, a Mercy Resident, receives a little tie-dyeing help from Sara Mains, from Mercy Activities.

June 25, 2003:
"Summer of Color, Part Two"

On one of those VERY hot Wednesdays in June, residents, staff members, and children of all ages could be found in Mercy's courtyard squirting bottles of colored dye all over their clothes. Yes, it was time again for Mercy's annual Tie-Dyeing party. When all was said and done, we colored over 190 shirts, socks, dresses, bedsheets, and even a denim jacket. Everyone had a great time, and even walked away from it with some new pieces in their wardrobe. Best of all, a few folks from Salem joined us for a little tutoring. You see, they will be holding their first Tie-Dye party at the end of the month. Stay tuned for pictures!

Merryn Oliveira, Director of Activities, keeping watch over Salem's baked goods.

May 13, 2003:
"Wing and a Prayer" Fund-Raiser a Big Success

The sudden injury and resulting medical bills of one of our favorite animals (see Jordan's Story) inspired us to create an emergency vet care fund. We called it the "Wing and a Prayer" fund, and kicked it off with bake sales at both Salem and Mercy.

The amount of support we received was incredible. Bake sale revenues and cash donations brought our fund over $1,000.00. Thank you to everyone who baked, bought, donated, or ate!

Contact Doug at the Eden Office if you would like to donate to the Wing and a Prayer emergency vet care fund.

Captain enjoys a special treat during his birthday party in Mercy's Care Center.

April 1, 2003:
Captain Celebrates Big Birthday

With the help of staff, residents, and friends from the Mercy Care Center, Captain celebrated his fourth birthday on April 1st. Although he didn't get a piece of the birthday cake (he's watching his weight) he did get a special dinner of meatloaf and mashed potatoes. In the short time that Captain has been at Mercy, he has become a well-known fixture in the building and a loving companion to everyone who lives and works here.

Happy Birthday, Captain!

Doug Neff, Eden Coordinator, meeting with Dr. Bill Thomas, founder of the Eden Alternative.

November 21, 2002:
First International Eden Alternative Conference

Myrtle Beach was home to the first International Conference for the Eden Alternative in October, 2002. Over 400 people came from all over the world to network, brainstorm, share stories, and sing the praises of Eden. On the final day, Dr. Bill and Judy Thomas announced their decision to transfer ownership of the Eden concept to a Board of Directors and form a non-profit corporation. Eden truly made great strides in these few days, and it's clear that many more are ahead for us.

The next conference has been scheduled for October 24-27, 2004 in Tacoma, Washington. Visit the official Eden site for more info.

Retreat Participants wave good-bye until next year.

June 13-14, 2002:
Residents and Staff Participate in ECA's Third Annual Eden Retreat

Our third annual Eden Retreat was held at Silver Penny Farm again this year. Two residents, Sr. Kathleen Murray, SND, and Mutti Kieser, joined us as we spent time together role-playing, drumming, learning about Eden, and laying down tracks for the next part of our journey together.

Click here to see the photos

April 22-23, 2002:
Clowning Around in San Francisco

"Practical Outrageousness" was the title of the conference hosted by Patch Adams, MD, and his band of silly merry-makers. San Francisco was home to the festivities, and Salem and Mercy showed up in force. In addition to a well-deserved break from the ordinary day-to-day routine, participants learned more than a few things about staying happy. Two "laughing professionals" were there, and more clowns than you would believe. Singing doctors, a joke-telling nurse, and lots of crazy costumes.

Click here to see the photos