When a person first walks into the Good Samaritan Society – Heritage Grove location in East Grand Forks, Minnesota, their reaction is often, well, surprise.
“Oh my gosh, it’s a zebra. Like, who has a zebra?” says Tiffany Kuznia, the business office manager and activities coordinator at Heritage Grove.
That’s because George the zebra greets visitors in the lobby at Heritage Grove, and he can be quite the conversation starter.
“He’s just been kind of the staple,” says Kuznia. “Everyone comes in. ‘Is that a real zebra?’ Yeah. All the kids come by. ‘Can I touch it?’ Yeah. ‘Can I take a picture with him?’ Of course you can. It’s just kind of fun.”
The Benson family
George is on loan from local taxidermist Jim Benson, whose mother Joni is a resident at Heritage Grove.
“It’s always fun to share some of the stuff that we do so people can enjoy it themselves,” says Jim.
Joni Benson has been living independently at the location for almost 10 years. This place is home, so the family wanted to do something to show their appreciation.
“When kids come, they just think the world of that thing and they’re petting it and everything. They really enjoy him there,” Joni says.
George isn’t the family’s only contribution to the décor at Heritage Grove though. Joni has picked up drawing as a hobby, and her artwork can now be seen throughout the location. She has a stack of drawings in her room, but you can also find them on her friends’ doors, on the hallway walls, and even at the front desk.
“It’s relaxing. If I get anxiety attacks or something, I can sit and draw and that helps. I don’t know, I enjoy it,” Joni says.
Sharing their art
Joni’s artwork has also helped her bond with Kuznia. The two have become close, especially since Kuznia’s daughter likes to draw as well.
“My daughter started coming to work with me a lot, especially during storm days, and during that time, her and Joni started developing a really good relationship,” Kuznia says. “Every time we come here, she says, ‘I’m gonna go see Grandma Joni.’ Every single time. It is just adorable. I love it.”
The Bensons are thankful for the care Joni has received at Heritage Grove. They say these small contributions are their tiny way of giving back.
“It’s close to where I live, it’s in our community and it’s convenient,” Jim says. “They have pretty much everything Mom needs. It’s just the biggest blessing ever.”
Whether their artwork is colorfully drawn, or a bit more black and white like George, the Bensons have certainly left their mark on Heritage Grove.
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Posted In Community, Grand Forks, Senior Services
