Village On The Isle residents forge lasting friendships through collaborative book project

When the pandemic hit Florida in 2020, no one was impacted harder than seniors – particularly those living in retirement communities. But residents at Village On The Isle (VOTI), a Life Plan community in Venice, didn’t let social distancing requirements keep them from forming friendships. Residents of Emerald Sands, a VOTI building that opened in June 2019, found a new way to connect with neighbors – they wrote a book with their life stories.

That book details the lives of Emerald Sands’ original residents. It is a point of pride for residents like Bill and Cindy Bouman who moved into the newly constructed Emerald Sands building in December 2019. The Boumans were some of the last residents to move into the 23-unit building and were looking forward to making new friends. The pandemic changed that.

“Within two months of our last neighbor moving in, social interactions were off the table,” said Cindy. “As a result, you had a whole neighborhood where we didn’t know a lot about our neighbors.”

Shortly after, a resident suggested that each person write one or two paragraphs about themselves that they could share with the group. Residents took the request seriously and a committee was formed.

“At that point, we said ‘hey, why don’t we write a book?’” said Cindy. “We had a couple in our building who had published books about their travels, so they knew how to make that happen.”

Each resident got two pages to share their story. They could include whatever information they wanted to share – from their family history to career and travels – as well as pictures. By summer 2020, the book was published and distributed to residents of Emerald Sands.

“It let us know enough about each other to enjoy each other and care about one another,” said Bill Bouman. “Very quickly, I could hold the people I moved in with as lifelong friends. It was like we’d been sitting on the front step together. We become a very close-knit community within the larger VOTI community because we knew things about people.”

Five years later, these relationships are still going strong. Emerald Sands residents meet for weekly happy hours in the community room where everyone brings hors d'oeuvres to share. Residents go to dinner together in the dining room and meet regularly to play cards or Mexican train. The Boumans also ride bikes with their neighbors, who they now consider family.

These deep connections are important for seniors. According the Harvard Study of Adult Development, the key predictor of how happy and healthy your life will be is “how connected you were to other people and particularly the warmth of your connection to other people.” Researchers note that our relationships and how happy we are in our relationships has a powerful influence on our health.

The Boumans are taking steps to ensure that all VOTI residents feel this sense of connection. Bill serves as the president of the Resident Council and Cindy assists with the weekly grief counseling meeting and volunteers in the assisted living and memory care buildings. Cindy has made it her mission to be “thoroughly used up before she dies” and volunteers every chance she gets.

“The Boumans really personify our culture of service and community,” said Doug Feller, CEO of VOTI. “Our residents are kind, and they are welcoming, and it creates a community where everyone feels connected and included. It’s a wonderful culture that they have created and are proud to call home.”

As for the book, it is proudly displayed in the Emerald Sands community room where new residents, visitors and guests can read it and get to know the first residents.

About Village On The Isle

Incorporated in 1979, Village On The Isle is a nonprofit Life Plan community affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The community is located less than half a mile from the Gulf of Mexico at 920 Tamiami Trail South in Venice, Fla. It offers independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing and gives residents an opportunity to live independently in apartments and cottages, then transition to higher levels of care with caregiver assistance as their needs warrant. For more information, visit www.VillageOnTheIsle.com.