• Society
  • Foundation
    • (866) 928-1635
    • Contact
    • Donate
    • About
    • Locations
    Good Samaritan Society
    • Home
    • Services
      • Home- and community-based services
      • Rehab/skilled care
      • Senior living
    • Resources
      • Advocacy
      • Faith
      • Family caregivers
      • Finances
      • Health
      • Memory care
      • Relationships
      • Senior care & services
    • Our stories
    • Careers
  • Society
  • Foundation
  • Good Samaritan Society
    • Call
    • Toggle Nav Toggle Nav Toggle Nav Menu
    Good Samaritan Society
    • Home
      • Services
      • Home- and community-based services
      • Rehab/skilled care
      • Senior living
      • Resources
      • Advocacy
      • Faith
      • Family caregivers
      • Finances
      • Health
      • Memory care
      • Relationships
      • Senior care & services
      • Our stories
      • Careers
      • About
      • Newsroom
      • History
      • Spiritual well-being
      • Leadership
      • Volunteer
      • Project Outreach
      • Founder's Day
      • Physicians
      • Annual report
      • Pharmacy services
    • Locations
    • (866) 928-1635
    • Contact
    • Donate
    • Advocacy
    • Faith
    • Family caregivers
    • Finances
    • Health
    • Memory care
    • Relationships
    • Senior care & services
    Resources
    • Home
    • Resources
    • Volunteers serve up friendship at diner [video]

    Get email updates

    E-News

    Learn more about the Good Samaritan Society.

    Resources

    • Advocacy
    • Faith
    • Family caregivers
    • Finances
    • Health
    • Memory care
    • Relationships
    • Senior care & services

    Popular Keywords

    • volunteering
    • support
    • stress
    • senior housing
    • retirement
    • rehab therapy
    • prayer
    • nursing home
    • motivational
    • mental health
    • loneliness
    • home care
    • guideposts
    • family
    • devotional
    • dementia
    • conversations
    • caregiver
    • Impact stories
    • Alzheimers

    Volunteers serve up friendship at diner [video]

    Join discussion Share
    • Category: Relationships
    • Keywords:
      • senior housing
      • volunteering
      • retirement
      • guideposts
      • motivational
    • Comments: 0
    • Posted: 9/21/2017

    Click the video above to see how some of our residents are staying active after retirement.

    Willa Wininger was ready to retire, but she didn’t want to slow down. 

    After a food service career in Texas hospitals and nursing homes, Willa moved to Good Samaritan Society – Hastings Village in Hastings, Nebraska, to be closer to her sister. 

    She now has a retirement spot she loves, and it didn’t take her long to find a way to stay active.

    The Village Diner is located near the center of Good Samaritan Society–Hastings Village's 140-acre campus.

    Near the center of the 140-acre Hastings Village campus sits the Village Diner, an old-fashioned cafe that boasts “home cookin’ like your mama used to make.” 

    Most of the customers are Good Samaritan Society residents from the surrounding campus, but the diner is open to anyone hungry for a home-cooked meal.

    The diner was also short one waitress. Enter Willa.

    Twice a week, the Texas transplant volunteers to wait tables at the diner.

    I’m a person all my life that’s been working, doing things. I just couldn’t sit at home and do nothing.” – Willa Wininger, Good Samaritan Society – Hastings Village resident and diner volunteer

    Rita Michka lives nearby at Goldbeck Towers and stops at the diner almost daily. 

    She’s seen how volunteering here has helped Willa in just a few short months.

    Looking for your place to retire and stay active? We’re in 24 states.

    See our locations
    Willa Wininger and Eunice Turnquist

    “The longer Willa has volunteered, the more she has come out, and she jokes with people and she remembers people’s names. She’s just a really fun person."

    Willa’s not the only one staying connected by working at the diner. 

    Most of the staff are resident volunteers.

    They range in age from 65-90 and do everything from waiting tables to running the cash register.

    "It’s a lot of fun," says Eunice Turnquist. “We’re like family here because a lot of the customers come every day.“

    Willa and Eunice serve up a four-course meal on why staying active can lead to a well-balanced retirement:

    Willing to serve

    Diner operator Tammy Krontz can keep her prices low with the volunteer help she gets from the residents, who work only for tips.

    Diner operator Tammy Kronz says resident volunteers help her pass savings on to customers. "They may not be speed demons," says Tammy of her volunteers, "but because of the fact that they work for nothing — they work for tips only — it helps keep the prices down. “

    “They have such good work ethics,” Tammy says of her volunteers. “They don’t want to call in sick. It’s really incredible the loyalty they have.” 

    For Willa, staying engaged in what she calls a “wonderful atmosphere” is the perfect recipe. 

    “It’s important for me to work around food and to make sure these elderly people are happy and have food. This is what I want to do. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here.”

    Want to share your talents?

    Volunteer
    • Share
    Lonnie Nichols
    By Lonnie Nichols
    Good Samaritan Society
    • Contact
    • Other articles

    Related articles

    • Rehab therapy: Living proof of the healing we provide [video]
    • Four tips for making the move to senior housing Four tips for making the move to senior housing
    • How one nurse's salary is building a school in Africa [video]

    Comments

    The help you need, when and where you need it.

    Finding care Find a location
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • YouTube
    • Instagram

    CareersDonatePay bill

    Contact us

    National Campus
    4800 W 57th St
    Sioux Falls, SD 57108

    Phone
    (866) 928-1635

    Email
    Contact

    Good Samaritan Society ®

    National Campus
    4800 W 57th St
    Sioux Falls, SD 57108

    Phone
    (866) 928-1635

    • Privacy and Terms
    • Links
    • Physicians
    • Pharmacists
    • Citrix login
    • Referral partners
    • Employees
    • Pay bill

    The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society (the Society) and Owner comply with applicable Federal civil rights laws. We do not discriminate against any person on the grounds of race, color, national origin, disability, familial status, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status or other protected statuses except as permitted by applicable law, in admission to, participation in, or receipt of the services and benefits under any of its programs and activities, and in staff and employee assignments to individuals, whether carried out by the Society directly or through a contractor or any other entity with which the Society arranges to carry out its programs and activities. The designated person responsible for coordinating efforts to comply with Section 504 requirements is: Director of Affordable Housing, Property Management, 4800 W. 57th Street, Sioux Falls, SD 57108; phone: (605) 362-3100. For telecommunications relay service dial 711. All faiths or beliefs are welcome.

    The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation), genetic information, age, marital or familial status, disability, veteran status, or other protected status. The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society is a 501(c)(3) public charity.

    Notice of Nondiscrimination and Accessibility Requirements

    © 2019 The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society. All rights reserved.

    Equal Housing Opportunity Site by Click Rain