A handful of volunteers began decking the halls of Munster Med-Inn weeks ago up until the early hours this Wednesday in preparation for their annual holiday party.
“I couldn’t do it without them and they were doing it without me before I came,” Jakes said with a chuckle, adding that her very daughter, who just recently graduated from Kentucky State, was also present to volunteer for the night because she wanted to give back.
From room to room, the decorated Inn was complete with a cookie decorating station, ice-cream parlor shop, photos with Santa, Candy Land, and a screening of “Miracle on 34th Street” at the Main Street Movie Theatre.
Normally, just residents and family are invited to the annual get-together at Munster Med-Inn, but this year, Jakes opened the celebration up to members of the community which resulted in the attendance of at least 20 individuals.
Each holiday-filled room bustled with children lining up to see Santa, munching on cookies they decorated, and saving peppermint ice-cream on their cheeks and chins for later. While most were content with those activities, the movie theatre eventually filled with those not pre-occupied with the kiddos.
While the focus of the Inn’s party is on celebrating with its residents and their families, the focus is just as much on the community this year with their open community invite.
“We’re a facility that loves to welcome community members to come in any time because we want to make sure they know who we are, where we are, and what we do,” said Jakes.
Munster Med-Inn is one of the top facilities in the area that specializes in short-term rehabilitation and houses residents not only from Munster, but from anywhere between Dyer to Merrillville in the 225-bed facility.
“I want the community to know that we’ve been here a long time and that we don’t change anything as far as our care. We want everyone to know that we give the best care that we can,” Jakes said of what she feels Northwest Indiana should know of the Munster Med-Inn.
To learn more about Munster Med-Inn, visit https://munstermed-inn.com/