The event came from a spur of the moment idea, said Melinda Thomas of Heritage Village of Platte City.
Over the past year, visitations to senior care facilities like Heritage Village have been sharply curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thomas said she’s seen the effects of this on residents, who have been accustomed to being active, visiting with their families and going out to eat.
Residents at Heritage Village in Platte City were treated to food from Pizza Shoppe and Culver’s and ice cream cake from Dairy Queen at a dinner last month.
Last month, Thomas decided to see if she could bring a slice of that normality back to the 20 residents currently living at the Platte City facility. She said Heritage Village looks at residents as family, and she hoped to put a smile on the faces of her family by giving them a special dinner treat.
She began approaching area business owners and Pizza Shoppe, Dairy Queen and Culver’s answered the call, and gave more than Thomas could have imagined.
“I cannot say enough about Platte City and the Platte City community,” she said. “I want to thank them for not forgetting my family.”
The reactions she received from the community were uplifting, she said, as it was pointed out most people come ask businesses for donations for kids’ programs, but often overlook seniors.
Cathy Darr, owner of the Platte City Dairy Queen, has long been a part of that Platte City community and she put her involvement in the dinner simply.
“Everyone loves ice cream,” Darr said. “I’m so glad we could bring some joy into their lives.”
Dairy Queen provided ice cream cake, paired with more ice cream provided by the Platte City Culver’s location, owned by Mark and Michelle Schuler. Culver’s also donated food, giving residents options for dinner.
One of the newest members of the Platte City business community, Pizza Shoppe owner Kim Clizer and his wife, Janice, contributed food and time, delivering meals in person to Heritage Village.
“My wife Janice and I have had both parents and grandparents that have lived in an assisted living facility,” Clizer said. “We have witnessed first hand how important it is to stay in touch with them and to connect and visit them as often as possible.”
Thomas said she was pleasantly surprised by the Clizers offer to allow residents to order meals off the menu, telling her they wanted the seniors to have the same experience as if they were in the restaurant.
“This kind of human compassion and acts of kindness, without wanting something for themselves, was just wonderful,” Thomas said.
Clizer had similar kind words for Thomas and Heritage Village, saying she introduced him and his wife to each senior as they came into the dining area.
“She explained to them all as a group who Janice and I were and the business that provided the meals,” Clizer said. “Melinda went above the call of duty to recognize us and our Pizza Shoppe Restaurant.”
The Clizers took ownership of the Platte City Pizza Shoppe last October and took time during the pandemic to remodel and add equipment. They hope to continue to grow and hire workers and look forward to another opportunity to help Heritage Village in the future.
