Holiday fun with family and friends at Brooksby Village
Brooksby Village offers multiple spaces to host and plenty of entertainment opportunities
Peabody, Mass. – Emile Beauchamp has seen his family expand in the 16 years he's lived at Brooksby Village, a senior living community developed and managed by Erickson Living, in Peabody, Mass.
"We were a small family when I moved here in 2003," says Beauchamp. "Now I have nine grandchildren, ranging in age from 5 to 17."
One of Beauchamp's favorite traditions is hosting his family during the holidays, and Brooksby Village has proven to be the perfect setting for the annual celebration.
"At first, we had our Christmas Eve dinner in my apartment," says Beauchamp, whose children and their families are spread across Massachusetts and Vermont. "As we grew in number, we moved our party to the music room in the McIntosh Clubhouse."
Brooksby Village has three clubhouses with multiple venues on campus for residents to host friends and family. In addition to their apartments, residents have the option to host special events in versatile, thoughtfully designed spaces like the onsite private dining rooms, music rooms, garden room, catering room, and other unique rooms and dining venues on campus.
Best of all, there's no need for planning, shopping, cooking, and clean-up, as Brooksby Village Catering can handle all the preparations.
"We make it easy for residents to entertain family and friends at the community," says Catering and Events Manager Kim Bolduc. "They choose the menu, let us know if they want any special touches like fresh floral arrangements or a cake, and we bring the party to them."
Brooksby Village's catering services plans private, catered functions for gatherings of 15 to 200 guests, while also offering carry out options for those who would like to entertain in their apartment homes.
"We have the privilege of sharing in our residents' most special celebrations, and we do everything we can to personalize the experience," says Bolduc. "We have audio-visual capabilities for slideshows or music, we have a variety of table linen colors, we can even make special recipes upon request."
For the Beauchamp Christmas Eve dinner, lasagna is a family favorite, although chicken and broccoli and baked ziti have also found their way onto the menu. A kid-approved favorite, ice cream sundaes, provide a delicious finale to the meal.
"We have a website which includes menu packages," says Bolduc. "Residents can mix and match menus according to their needs and preferences."
Best of all, there's no room fee for residents to host events on campus, and the reasonable catering fees are budget friendly.
"We're part of many residents' traditions throughout the holiday season," says Bolduc. "A group of our residents host their Hadassah chapter on campus every November. Another resident hosts an annual Hanukkah party. She gave us her family's latke recipe, and we make the latkes. We take on the hosting responsibilities, so residents can enjoy the celebration with family and friends."
Savoring the season is easy at Brooksby Village, a not-for-profit organization, developed and operated by Erickson Living®. The community is governed by its own board of directors affiliated with National Senior Campuses, who provide independent financial and operational oversight of the community.
There's no better time to delight in a vibrant, engaged lifestyle than during this time of year when holiday events punctuate the calendar and the community décor reflects the spirit of the season.
"One of the great benefits of the community is having attractive spaces that will accommodate just about any size entertainment event," says Pamela Simpson, director of resident life. "The lifestyle people enjoy at Brooksby Village is full of exciting opportunities to engage in activities and enjoy quality entertainment."
On Christmas Day, following his family's annual Christmas Eve dinner in the music room, you'll find Beauchamp in the Brooksby Village Chapel, running the audio-visual equipment for the community's Christmas Mass. He's applying the skills he's learned over several years as a volunteer in the community's onsite television studio.
"Working in the TV studio is one of the most fun activities I do at Brooksby," says Beauchamp. "It gives me a chance to be part of all the happenings on campus."
Photo caption: Emile Beauchamp hosts an annual Christmas Eve dinner for his family at Brooksby Village.
About Brooksby Village: Brooksby Village is one of 20 continuing care retirement communities developed and managed by Erickson Living® and is situated on a scenic 90-acre campus in Peabody, Massachusetts. The not-for-profit community, located in Essex County, is home to 1,700 residents and is governed by its own board of directors, affiliated with National Senior Campuses, who provide independent financial and operational oversight of the community. Additional information about Brooksby Village can be found at BrooksbyVillage.com.