Members of the Carolina Meadows MAP Steering Committee, who honor the MAP volunteers with a biennial appreciation party, outdid themselves recently.

Known simply as MAP, the Meadows Assistance Program provides multiple ways of assisting residents. The party this year featured four skits that demonstrated visually the ways MAP helps Carolina Meadows residents.

Party organizers were Ann Kline, Joanne Roberts and Helen Stedman. Ann and Helen planned the event, provided the menu, invitations, table decorations and gifts for the volunteers. Joanne was in charge of entertainment, which included choosing a theme and writing and producing the skits.

The auditorium stage illustrated the party theme of “Sunshine” with a backdrop of sunflowers, a smiling sun and the title of the theme song, “You Are My Sunshine.” Jeri Bacote (a nurse from the Health Center) launched the program with her stirring vocal rendition of “”You Are My Sunshine.”

Each of the four skits identified a problem at Carolina Meadows solved regularly by MAP. As each problem was presented by actors on stage, MAP Chairman Dick Leach, dressed in a red satin cape and a T-shirt that identified him as “MAP Man,” rushed on stage to boldly proclaim “MAP Man to the rescue!” You needed to be there to appreciate this feat of courage.

The four MAP services include providing volunteer residents for driving needs on campus on weekends. There also is an escort service, which provides volunteers to accompany and assist residents to doctor appointments as well as driving needs off-campus. Another service provides “friendly visitors” for shut-in residents in the Fairways and the Health Center.

Both residents and staff participated: Lakia Barnes (staff) and residents BJ Seitzer, Jim Seitzer and Joanne Roberts. Jodi Biewen and John Roberts designed the scenery; and Kris Snyder and Linda Zachary (staff) were on hand to direct and encourage.

As glowing reports reached the CM administration, Elsie Norton, chief operating officer, asked the ensemble to repeat the skits at the Carolina Meadows managers meeting, which they did on Oct. 30.

From Carolina Meadows resident Public Relations Committee member Clarence Whitefield