Find out more about volunteering at the Rona Barrett Foundation!

Volunteer Spotlight! Susie Harrison

“I am a country girl at heart,” says Susie Harrison, as she recounts her big-city route to Solvang -  from Manhattan Beach to Hermosa Beach and the San Fernando Valley.

Susie grew up in southern California during “The Golden Age of Hollywood” where her father was a cameraman for over 35 years at 20^th Century Fox Studios. 

So, it made perfect sense that when a movie opened, the family would skipthe local movie theater, jump in the car and head to Hollywood to the spectacular Grauman’s Chinese Theater, The Cinerama Dome or the Hollywood Egyptian Theater.  It’s no surprise that Susie is passionate about movies: “My favorites are Casablanca – love Bogie and Bergman!  And, How the West Was Won – great epic with an all-star cast!”

Rona Barrett Foundation Volunteer Ambassador Susie Harrison at the June Volunteer Luncheon.

“I have great memories of my childhood,” Susie fondly reflects on a joyful youth with her family including a sister and two brothers. “We had a swimming pool in the backyard so our house was the place where all the neighborhood kids congregated. “

She met her husband in “SoCal” and enjoyed life there until he transplanted her to the Santa Ynez Valley (he is the Harrison of Harrison Hardware).  “I was here when there was one gas station and two markets and you could always count on someone being there to help you should your car break down,” says Susie. “I loved it and it immediately became home for me!”

Super at 66

“I don’t mind anyone knowing my age because age is just a number.”

“Susie is proud of being 66 years old. “I don’t mind anyone knowing my age because age is just a number.  And I’m in good health, I’m still learning every day.” 

In fact, at the age of 56, Susie returned to college and received her Bachelor of Science from Cal State Northridge in Interior Design.  She didn’t mind being the only student out of their late teens or early 20s; in fact, she loved being the oldest in her class.  “Whenever my history professor would talk about wars like Vietnam or the Korean, he would look at me as a point-of-reference because we talked the same language.  As a result, I shared a great bond with my teacher.”

But Susie’s energy and talents don’t stop there; she is also a 2^nd Soprano for the Santa Ynez Valley Master Choral under the direction of renowned master conductor Chris Bowman. The group performs at major community events, and Choral members also regularly give mini-concerts for Friendship House and Atterdag Village residents. The group realizes that these special concerts brighten the seniors’ perspectives on life, especially those who may be home bound. “You just see it in their faces,” says Susie.

Be-”cause” why?

Susie remembers seeing Rona and her dad about town. While she never approached the two of them at the time, the image of a loving daughter and father was sealed in her memory.  So, when the Rona Barrett Foundation began seeking volunteers, Susie realized that all paths led to this “calling.”  (Another Foundation connection – Susie is also currently #76 on the housing “waiting list” for the soon-to-open Golden Inn & Village.)

Susie most recently pitched in as a hostess for our “Donor Appreciation High Tea.”  With her big heart, hard-working, can-do attitude – and abounding compassion, Susie is such a valuable asset to the Foundation.

The Rona Barrett Foundation, a non-profit organization, seeks to provide a solution to affordable housing and supportive services for seniors in need with the development of the Golden Inn & Village, where seniors may access a variety of care that meets their needs as they age in place.

 

Volunteer Spotlight! Marcy Rose Lehman

Marcy Rose Lehman is a tireless and dedicated Volunteer Ambassador for the Rona Barrett Foundation. She is a passionate “Gray Advocate” and the Foundation is fortunate to have her as core member of its Volunteer Program Services.

 

You won’t find a heart bigger than Marcy Rose’s! Her latest gift of time to the Rona Barrett Foundation was volunteering as a hostess at the Foundation’s April “High Tea” event. Her customized outfit was spectacular and she even pitched in as parking attendant for the day! She can do it all and that’s why the Rona Barrett Foundation is spotlighting this kind and generous Volunteer Ambassador this month.

Moving, Movies and More: Marcy Rose

Born and raised in San Diego, little did she know when she selflessly sent her son away to UC Santa Barbara, that years later she would be compelled to relocate to the Central Coast to stay close to him where he settled down after his college days

“In the day,” as she reflects, Marcy Rose was active in sales, marketing, interior design, computers, as a professional chef with her catering business, gardening, event planning and even tile-setting. (She still loves tiles – one of her hobbies now is creating furniture and mosaics from tile and glass.)

As a music aficionado, she regularly attends concerts at the Santa Barbara Bowl and she especially loves Van Morrison, Etta James and Johnny Lang. Movies are her second passion and her fave flick is the fantasy cult classic “Somewhere in Time”, with Christopher Reeves and Jane Seymour (anyone who loves this movie is definitely a hopeless romantic!).

Should you see Marcy Rose at New Frontiers in Solvang, give her a smile and thank her for all the work she does as a Volunteer Ambassador for the Rona Barrett Foundation – she is a gem!

Marcy Rose works part-time at New Frontiers, or as she proudly refers to her employer, “the marketplace for future organic shopping!” And she proudly raves, “New Frontiers is a very nice place to work, as I work in the Deli Department. My manager is a wonderful person, making the job a fun workplace environment – I am blessed!”

Be-”cause” why?

When asked why she joined the “Rona cause,” she fondly reflects, “Rona Barrett was a household name to me in San Diego. My father was the manager of the Town and Country, a 5-star hotel where all the celebs would retreat to and congregate. I remember Rona being a guest and all the wonderful stories my Dad would share about his celebrity guests and Rona was one of them.”

Little did she know that many decades later her life would intersect with Rona’s – destiny!

Through this encounter, today she is helping Rona make a difference in the lives of local senior citizens through the Golden Inn & Village and the Rona Barrett Foundation.

The Rona Barrett Foundation, a non-profit organization, seeks to provide a solution to affordable housing and supportive services for seniors in need with the development of the Golden Inn & Village, where seniors may access a variety of care that meets their needs as they age in place.