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They say it takes a village to raise your children, but it takes a village to build a village. Many Home Owner Associations have multiple groups/clubs similar to ours. For many people, volunteering is something they do because a friend or neighbor coaxed them into getting involved. For other people, it is a way of life to be helpful and serve others. Our Team Sunshine has a long history of taking care of the residents in Four Seasons at Hemet. Through the years, the strong and caring leadership built a foundation for what became our lifeline in a pandemic. In 2020 as we quickly started hearing about mask mandates, stay- home orders, social distancing, and vaccinations, it was clear what needed to be done. Call Team Sunshine! Team Sunshine went to work. Everybody needs a mask- okay: Who can sew? You can't sew, but you have fabric and elastic - Great! Donations started piling up on the doorsteps of Team Sunshine's leadership. The sewers started sewing, then the baggers started bagging. With trunks and golf carts loaded the deliveries started, first to the other clubs/groups that were easy to contact for distribution, then to doorsteps. Soon over 3,000 masks were made and distributed in the Four Seasons at Hemet community. Team Sunshine gains more volunteers. With everyone masked, it is now time to assist the residents that are now homebound and support the Bistro: Team Sunshine quickly forms a delivery system and team of drivers. Focusing on keeping the Bistro open and our residents with access to food, Team Sunshine gains more volunteers. We are masked and fed, but with Social Distancing and fear of the unknown, our residents need more support. Team Sunshine creates Curbside Chats. A volunteer was assigned to safely sit at your curb or in the car and chat if you needed somebody to talk to. Team Sunshine gains more volunteers. Health Fairs and Vaccination Clinics were scheduled, and Team Sunshine was ready to welcome residents with friendly (due to masked smiles) eyes and sanitize where required (everywhere). Team Sunshine gains more volunteers. One of the main functions of Team Sunshine is the support they provide when a resident has passed away. They offer to assist with a Celebration of Life and honor the person with a beautifully framed picture and write-up displayed in the Lodge. They reach out a kind and helpful hand to guide the surviving family member through a very emotional process. The restrictions were creating a wait list for those wanting to celebrate the lives of their loved ones. It was with great difficulty that Team Sunshine had to continue to add to the list. Once the health restrictions were lifted and they were allowed to resume the Celebrations in the Lodge, a new challenge presented in the sheer volume of dates to arrange and staff with volunteers (thank goodness they gained those extra volunteers along the way). A Celebration of Life is an emotional event, Team Sunshine is there every step of the way. They have residents that are called upon to donate cookies for each Celebration, the team creates centerpieces and decorates the room to each families' preference. They assist with ordering from the Bistro Liaison. They are even there at the end to clean it up and put it away. All while providing a shoulder to cry on if needed. There is a level of fatigue Team Sunshine would never admit to, but Team Sunshine has shined for this community through our darkest times. The work they do is a labor of love; through that love, our village strengthens. Other Associations may have similar clubs/groups, but none of those compare to OUR Team Sunshine! With sincere gratitude, the Association thanks all those who volunteer to make the Four Seasons at Hemet a great place to live through Team Sunshine. Like most of you, I am shocked it is March 2022 already. I still feel a bit blurry on the last two years. We thought the world would feel a bit more like 2019 by now. Well, maybe not. Like the rest of the world, we have all had to be a bit more resilient. Life events have unfolded a bit differently than many expected. So many of our friends and neighbors have relocated and we haven't had many chances to meet our new neighbors and turn them into friends. Keep your eyes open for upcoming opportunities to get together in the spring and summer. Don't forget to spring forward on March 13 (looks like my wish for those longer days will come true!). If you are not receiving Lodge Updates in your inbox, contact me and I will get you connected. I'm just an email away! ~ Tracie.Rodgers@FSresidential.com 4 | Four Seasons Hemet Herald | MARCH 2022 | From Your Activities Director By Tracie Rodgers You make US happy when skies are gray Special Recognition to Team Sunshine - Thank you!