Passavant gets comedic relief
ZELIENOPLE — Laughter really is the best medicine.
Just ask Passavant Retirement Community resident Linda Richards, who dresses in colorful garments and wigs, wears oversized sunglasses and sings cheery songs to anyone who will listen.
She had an irritating cough and cold for nearly a week, but when she woke up yesterday to put on her Caring Clown costume, she immediately felt better.
Richards is one of ten Caring Clowns, a group of bouncy and free-spirited volunteers led by organizer and resident services coordinator Cathy Reid. They travel around the retirement community doing anything they can to lift the spirits of the residents they encounter.
Those Caring Clowns and their hearty smiles Wednesday afternoon filled the auditorium at the retirement community as the cheerful clowns interacted with residents. The ten clowns are made up of retirement community staff members and residents.
The group started more than a year ago after Reid attended a the Pittsburgh Performing Arts Ministry conference, a conference Reid described as "a clown ministry retreat." Conference participants learned juggling, balloon making and other clown activities.
Now they travel to different floors of the retirement facility every month and make special visits to anyone who requests one."We make visits to people who need cheering up or some sunshine in their lives," Reid said. "That's what we do, what we're here for. They really make a difference in the lives of the residents, especially when they really need a pick-me-up."Reid relayed a story about a dying patient who requested a visit by the clowns. She choked up and tears filled her eyes when she reminisced about the man's smile and laughter despite his pain and suffering.That's the part of the job that makes it all worthwhile for Reid."We temporarily relieved his pain, whether emotionally or physically, and that just gets to me," she said. "As long as you have a heart and a soul it will get to you."The clowns Wednesday were awarded certificates signed by television celebrity Willard Scott in an honor of National Clown Week, which runs from Aug. 3 to 9. Scott, the creator and very first impersonator of Ronald McDonald, did not attend the ceremony but sent his best wishes.Resident Donna Kedzierski ate cake and sipped on some punch while she watched the clowns receive their certificates. She's been visited several times by the clowns when she's felt down and out, and every time they've helped to brighten her day."I absolutely love these clowns," she said with a smile and tears in her eyes. "They're always number one in my book."Passavant Retirement Community is one of several facilities operated by Lutheran Senior Life, a Christian faith-based organization that provides retirement living throughout the area. The retirement community in Zelienople is located on a sprawling 42-acre campus that houses more than 650 residents.Donna Cawthorne, the retirement facility's community outreach coordinator, said the clowns are just one part of a mission that includes abundant friendship and genuine care at the facility."We're about having a full and vital life here," Cawthorne said. "We're not just a retirement community. We want our residents here to be at home."That's part of the reason Richards volunteers for the Caring Clowns. She sees her participation in the group as part of an ongoing commitment to give back to her community."Part of our secret here is that we know and help each other through hard times," said Richards, who brought her neighbor, a new resident, to the ceremony. "Laughter makes a lot of things go away. It takes away a lot of aches and pains of life."Reid's consortium of caring clowns is growing by the week. She recently trained a few new clowns to add to the troop, and she's currently looking for an assistant who can help with group leadership. Those interested in volunteering with the Caring Clowns may call Reid at 724-452-5400, Ext. 3431.
