We are ready for spring. It seems like each week we get some warm days, then the next day it starts snowing.

It’s hard to plan outings for the residents to go on. We hate to have to cancel our bus trips, because the residents look forward to going on them so much. We haven’t had to cancel any lately due to bad weather, and we hope that we will start getting warmer days for our trips and being able to take the residents outside for fresh air.

Since we have started taking our veterans on trips, they really enjoy getting out together and their fellowship with each other. They really look forwards to their trips together.

Next month, they will be going to a restaurant in Mount Airy, N.C., that’s based on a retro All American diner. We try to take them to different places to eat and let them tell us where they want to go on their trips as we do with all our residents.

Each month, they want to go shopping and go out to eat at a couple of their favorite restaurants. Some months we go to the same restaurant twice since the veterans want this to be their trip and other residents like going there too.

We are looking forward to having Mabry Mill to open. Our residents love going to the mill and having a meal and being able to ride the Blue Ridge Parkway up and back home.

We have been working on our National Volunteer Week. We will be having an appreciation banquet on April 19 at 7 p.m. at the Landmark Center. This is where we invite all our groups who perform for our residents at the Landmark Center and those who come to Blue Ridge. We have many groups that go to both places. We can’t thank these dedicated people enough for all they do for our residents. We look forward to being able to serve them this night and thank them for all they do in person.

If you would like to volunteer at Blue Ridge, please call Dee Dee Via at (276) 694-7161, extension 1804. We would love to have you join the Blue Ridge family.