Peace Village Celebrates Earth Day With Gazebo Volunteer Project

Earth Day was a moment of glorious, gorgeous weather tucked between cold snaps last week, a perfect day to do some outdoor painting. For a volunteer group at Peace Village in Palos Park, the timing couldn’t have been more convenient.

Facilities Director Tim Stoub and Elite Facility Professional’s Wayne Barkus led a team of six Dining Services volunteers to stain the inside of the new gazebo on Peace Village grounds on Monday. Stoub said, “This gazebo is meant to be a real focal point for our residents. They have a 360˚ view of the pond, the woods, the walking path. Here they can sit safely and enjoy dozens of birds, including our huge blue herons dive-bombing for a meal.”

Jake Voss, Renovation Specialist, explained that the new gazebo is “his baby”. “Our old gazebo was about twenty to thirty years old and really dilapidated. Tim designed it and I built it - every board. It’s about twice the size of the old one, about 18’ x 20’ and will have lighting for the evenings.”

Stoub said, “This gazebo is an extension of our public spaces, open to the air, fully ADA-compliant, with room for wheelchairs, walkers, scooters and more. This is my favorite spot on campus.”

The view from the new gazebo is breathtaking. The structure sits on a small promontory overlooking the pond and is surrounded by flower beds, courtesy of K-Lee Landscaping, bursting with bright colors and heady scents. To reach the gazebo, visitors cross a white foot bridge that spans a rushing stream. The pond is stocked with fish for resident anglers, both human and animal, including those blue herons, geese, swans and other fishing birds.

All construction funds necessary for gazebo, including permits, materials and labor were donated. Katie Kunkel, General Manager, was particularly touched by how the metal roof was paid for. Kunkel says, “We had enough money for an asphalt roof, just regular shingles, but we really hoped for a metal roof. During an association meeting of residents, employees and managers, our chef Jason Ison stood up and said, “Well, the metal roof is $2,000. If everyone here today donates $100, we’ll have that $2,000 right now.” Everyone did and the metal roof was paid for.”

Because Peace Village is part of the Morrison Community Living Association and participates in “Compass in Community” initiatives, volunteering is a core pillar and is required of employees. When members of Dining Services realized they could volunteer on the Peace Village grounds, they jumped at the chance.

Barkus distributed colorful T-shirts to the team including Jean Swiecicki, Jamie Martin, Nancy Bohne and Dawn Skraba, and the work began. The group laid tarps to protect the new, smooth concrete floor and taped around the bottoms of the walls. Railings were lightly sanded and staining began.

Stain, explained Barkus, will last longer and look better than a coating of paint. “Wood,” said Barkus, “will push moisture out and that will cause paint to peel. Stain will let that moisture out and avoid peeling.” The color selected is a dark oyster, which will complement the brick buildings in the Peace Village neighborhood.

Skraba said, “Our residents and servers have a very special relationship here, so helping get our residents out into nature, creating this space for them, is very rewarding.”

Kunkel noted that the core pillar of community service compliments Peace Village’s own mission statement, “enriching the lives of seniors every day” beautifully. “Each day,” said Kunkel, “our entire staff works to make the Village a better place to work and to live. Getting our residents out into sunshine is good for their health and well being. This Earth Day project is made more powerful by this good stewardship.”

The new gazebo will be a perfect place for families to gather, for resident entertainment and live music and for “photo opps”, as Kunkel says. “Our residents love to take their families out to see Peace Village’s beautiful grounds. With the new gazebo and our volunteers, we now have another way to enjoy them.