A Modern Renaissance Man at Windsor Run

Charlotte NC

23 April, 2021

1:43 PM

Description

Erickson Living has a mission: "We share our gifts to create communities that celebrate life." Every day since moving to Windsor Run, an Erickson Living community in Matthews, N.C., Harvey Cohen has lived out that mission. He has taught kaleidoscope making classes; created and writes a monthly paper, Windsor Wisdom; and currently produces two programs for the in-house station Windsor Run-TV. All that just since moving to the community in 2018 with his wife Yolanda, a watercolor painter. "I enjoy being busy," Harvey says. "Living at Windsor Run provides numerous opportunities to explore hobbies, develop passions and interests, and learn new things. It's remarkable. My time is very well filled." Finding his passion Harvey began a fulfilling career in public relations and communications as a copywriter in an advertising agency, and later became the first communications professional at the local office United Way of Charlotte. He has written for an extensive list of media, including television. Following his retirement, he began looking for new opportunities to share his gifts. "When I worked, I never had the opportunity to create something with my hands," he says. "When I retired, I began looking for a satisfying craft. Yolanda suggested I try pottery, and I did, but found it very unsatisfying, realizing I needed the visual stimulation of color." Next, Harvey began making stained glass pieces, and although it satisfied his need to work with color, "it didn't feel right." "A serendipitous experience brought me to the garage of a person conducting a workshop on how to make a kaleidoscope," he says. "That did it. I found my passion! The man's name is Scott Cole and he may be the best scope maker in the state. Now, 20 years later, I still enjoy making kaleidoscopes." Harvey brought this passion to Windsor Run, teaching several kaleidoscope classes for residents. "I take great pleasure in making people happy," he says. "Kaleidoscopes make people happy." In addition to offering the classes, Harvey has crafted kaleidoscopes for a variety of nonprofit organizations, including the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Sharing his wisdom With kaleidoscope creation satisfying his need to work with his hands, it didn't take long for Harvey to look for ways to use his considerable talent to the benefit of his neighbors. "I wanted to do something in print media," he says. "I grew up in a time of Life Magazine and National Geographic. And although I am comfortable with online publications, I wanted to create something that could be read, on paper, in the reader's hands." As a result, Harvey created and began writing Windsor Run's first resident newspaper, Windsor Wisdom. "My goal was to provide interesting and provocative stories as well as some humorous material," he says. "I'm very proud of what we've created." Each month, Harvey searches more than 20 different publications, including two in England, for timely material. "I request permission to reprint the articles I think my neighbors will find most interesting," he says. Harvey dedicates a great deal of time and effort to engaging his fellow community members with the paper. "I created a 'you write the caption' feature in the paper," he says. "I went to the local Publix grocery store asking for gift card donations as prizes for the residents who write the best captions for an accompanying photo. The captions are judged by a resident committee." One of the most recent caption contests included a photo of a group of friends enjoying lunch from a picnic table suspended above the clouds. "It's a fun way to interact with readers," he says. Enjoying some screen time Last April, when Windsor Run-TV premiered, Harvey joined the Resident Video Committee as producer/director. "My job is to develop new programming," he says. "It's a fun task to create something new." Harvey's first creation, a show titled, "You Be the Judge," quickly became a hit. "Many of us were brought up on quiz shows, so I thought something that encouraged game participation would be fun," he says. "One of my neighbors is a retired North Carolina Superior Court judge. He agreed to be the host judge for the program." For each episode, the judge presents a case to six residents who sit on the jury. They are not sequestered, allowing viewers to hear their deliberations, and ultimately their decision. "I'm pleased at how much my neighbors enjoy the program," he says. "It's very encouraging." Currently, Harvey is also working on the creation of two additional programs for Windsor Run-TV and has edited two books written by his neighbors. "I appreciate the many opportunities to involve myself in community life at Windsor Run," says Harvey. "My time is very well filled." Don't wait to begin exploring vibrant senior living at Windsor Run. Request a free brochure today!