By Kelly de la Rocha, founder of poem RENOVATION I came to the United Church Homes Entrepreneur in Residence program with carefully-cut-out word blocks and a whole lot of questions. I left with knowledge that will pave my path forward. I’m Kelly de la Rocha, a poet, journalist and founder of poem RENOVATION, an arts-based […]
Meet Wanda
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Wanda has a smile at least a mile wide. A community member at The Pines United Church Homes assisted living community, she adds brightness to every gathering. I felt lucky to have her attend all three of the poem RENOVATION workshops I held while there as an entrepreneur in residence. During one workshop, she chose […]
Meet Mable
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Mable’s hand shook when she tried to move the poem RENOVATION word blocks around on the table. She struggles to keep her head up straight, so it was difficult to read the words, too. But once she teamed up with Kelly de la Rocha, poem RENOVATION’S founder, collaborative wordplay led to levity. They rearranged the […]
Meet Marlene
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Marlene, a member of a memory care community in Marietta, Ohio, spends much of her time sleeping and doesn’t often participate in group activities. The staff was delighted when she decided to try poem RENOVATION. Rev. Patricia Vargas, the community’s chaplain, said she has never seen Marlene more engaged than she was while participating in […]