The dining room at Hallmark Care Center in Mount Vernon is filled with Halloween music and laughter Friday afternoon as residents gathered for the care center’s annual trick-or-treat celebration. Candy baskets were spread across tables, and the smell of supper mixed with the sound of shuffling costumes as children from the community made their way through the room, collecting candy from residents.

Residents handed out treats from their seats, many dressed up themselves — as cats, witches, and even Dolly Parton. Among them, care center activities director Kandey Peiffer stood out in her bright orange pumpkin costume, greeting families and helping residents with face paint before the event began.

“This is an annual thing,” Peiffer said. “Once COVID happened, we kind of closed off for safety for a little while, so now we’re working on getting the public back in.”

This year’s event ran from 4 to 5 p.m., a bit earlier than usual.

“We didn’t have a ton of trick-or-treaters last year, so I thought we’d start earlier,” Peiffer said. “Then families can head on to the town things afterward.”

Peiffer has worked at Hallmark for more than 12 years, eight of those as activities director. She also serves as a CNA and med aide, often helping wherever needed.

“You never know exactly what your day is going to be,” she said. “I know I’m going to do the activities, but you kind of take it as it comes.”

That unpredictability, she said, is part of what she loves most about the job.

“Helping these guys get out and do what they want to do, helping make the activities they want to do possible — that’s what I enjoy most,” Peiffer said. “I’ve met a lot of amazing people, learned their stories, and we share lots of smiles.”

Bingo, Farkle, and fishing trips

Beyond Halloween, the activities calendar stays full.

“We do outings — we’re going to go to IHOP next month because we haven’t eaten out for a while,” Peiffer said. “We just went to Dollar Tree, and before that, the library. We went fishing twice this year.”

Inside the facility, two favorites always fill the dining room.

“Bingo is always Monday and Wednesday,” Peiffer said. “I learned early on — don’t move bingo. I did that once.”

On a good day, 15 to 20 residents join in, often with volunteers calling numbers or sitting beside them.

Another major hit is Farkle, which residents affectionately call “Sparkle.”

“You roll dice and try to get to 10,000 points,” Peiffer said. “We’re out here probably an hour and a half every Thursday. Farkle and bingo are pretty big ones.”

Peiffer said residents also help shape the activity schedule, suggesting new ideas throughout the year.

“I painted pumpkins on someone’s fingernails last week,” she said. “That was fun. We’d never done pumpkin bowling before either, and it worked great.”

Annual traditions like the Christmas party, Easter egg dash, and Valentine’s Day King and Queen voting bring extra excitement. Local churches and community partners help organize these events, and the conservation program visits monthly to lead nature presentations and crafts.

Volunteers keep things moving

Hallmark relies on volunteers to make many of its events possible.

“We’re always looking for more,” Peiffer said. “People can stop in or go online — it gets forwarded to me — or they can just call and ask for me. I’ll talk to them and find out when they’re available and what they’d like to do.”

Even small acts of kindness make a difference, she said. “Don’t forget about nursing homes at Christmastime,” Peiffer added. “Just stopping in makes a difference.”

Administrative assistant Lisa Kaune said events like Friday’s Halloween celebration play an important role in the residents’ everyday lives.

“The residents enjoy them, and it gets them excited about things,” Kaune said. “Sometimes there’s friendly competition between residents, and I think that brings a sense of enjoyment.”

“It just brings joy to them,” Kaune said. “Mentally, some of the things are challenging, and I love that. And we have a great activities director.”

Betty’s favorite games

One of the residents handing out candy Friday was Betty, who dressed as Amelia Earhart, complete with a pilot’s cap, goggles, and scarf. She’s often found at the center of the action during game days.

“My favorite games are Sparkle and Bingo,” she said. “I get prizes from bingo — bracelets and rings. I like that.”

Finding joy in the details

For Peiffer, those small moments of laughter and connection are the best part of the job. “We try to stay pretty active,” she said. “You never know what each day will bring, but the residents make it worth it.”

Her first big outing years ago didn’t go quite as planned — the destination was closed when they arrived.

“Lesson learned,” she said, laughing. “Now I always check everything ahead of time.”

Twelve years later, she still brings the same enthusiasm — whether she’s organizing an IHOP breakfast, painting nails, or passing out candy dressed as a pumpkin.

At Hallmark Care Center, joy comes in many forms: a roll of the dice, a painted fingernail, a shared story, or a smile over a bowl of candy.

And for residents like Betty, those moments mean a lot.

“They’re fun,” she said. “We have a good time.”