Involved Across Generations at Artman

July 17, 2023

Sally Beil, Chair of this year’s Artman Golf Outing, has volunteered with that committee since 2013. She’s been an active member of The Becoming Center for more than ten years. But, her affiliation with Artman began over thirty-five years ago, when she volunteered there with her mother, Betty Stiver.

Creating Strong Bonds

Together, along with her young daughters, they regularly visited an Artman resident with whom they developed a strong bond. Later, Sally’s husband, Jerry Beil, had relatives move to Artman from the Allentown area. After that, Sally’s father, Walter Stiver, lived at Artman in 2012-2013 after her mother had passed away.

“My introduction to Artman actually occurred when my mother, Betty, started playing Bingo with Artman residents, in the 1980s. It was organized by members of Christ Lutheran Church in Oreland. Then, through a program with the American Red Cross, in 1983, Mom became matched with, started visiting, and became friends with an Artman resident, named Reba,” Sally explains. “I wanted to share this volunteer activity with my mother,” she elaborates, “and I also wanted to introduce my daughters, Emily and Elizabeth, who were then 4 and 7, to volunteering. All four of us went together to visit Reba every week. She never married, so she became a member of our family.”

The Benevolent Care Fund Impact

“Eventually, when she was in her 90s, Reba’s money ran out, but she was able to remain at Artman, thanks to the benevolent care fund. I saw first-hand what a powerful impact the fund can have upon a person’s life,” Sally claims.

“After that, in 1990,” Sally continues, “my husband’s grandfathers and Great Aunt moved to Artman, and then my Dad moved there in 2012.” She adds, “Dad felt very much at home because, at the time, there were stenciled patterns on the walls, which reminded him of stencils my mother had painted.”

Additional Ties to Artman

Sally indicates her additional ties to Artman, saying, “Ten years ago, my daughter, Elizabeth, was recovering from a traumatic brain injury caused by a fall while she was traveling in Guatemala. Her therapists recommended Water Aerobics at The Becoming Center as a way to help her heal.”

She concludes, “I started taking the Water Aerobics classes then too, and I keep attending because they provide terrific workouts, and I have made friends with so many wonderful people there.”

Thanks, Sally, for all you have done, across generations, to improve seniors’ lives at Artman!