Garden Spot Village Resident Spotlight | Jan Heller

Jan Heller has found a new knack for making stained glass art. She learned stained glasswork in a six-week course in one of the many classes offered at Garden Spot Village, a licensed, nonprofit, faith-based continuing care retirement community in New Holland, Pennsylvania, where she resides. The retired nurse and mother of four has now made several pieces, each increasing in detail and intricacy as she has grown in skill. One is a beautiful bird that catches the light in the window and adds a bright pop of yellow color to her room.

Jan has lived in New Holland since 1970. She and her family lived right up the road from Garden Spot. Jan visited the community for many years before becoming a resident, using the swimming pool and Wellness Center.

“In a way, I’ve watched Garden Spot grow up,” says Jan. Now a resident for two years, an active volunteer, a member of the apartment council, and one of the tour guides to prospective residents, she knows a lot about Garden Spot and its history.

Some of her favorite tour stops include the Wellness Center and indoor pool, the beautifully designed library with a view into the lobby, and the Art Studio, where she learned to make stained glass.

“Your life isn’t over when you move to a retirement community. There are so many good things in your present and future.”

“Your life isn’t over when you move to a retirement community. There are so many good things in your present and future,” says Jan. Like the art she creates, Jan’s future at Garden Spot is beautiful, colorful, and full of light.