It was the coldest day of the year with temperatures hovering around zero. For Warren Dill, this was just another opportunity to scatter coffee grounds and banana peels onto the hard ground of the facility's garden. Despite limited vision, Warren takes this job very seriously -- no matter what the weather.
Warren and his cousin Carol Dill -- also a resident -- have known the expansive acreage of Village North for more than 50 years. Back then, it was a rough, rocky terrain where people hunted quail. They learned life-long lessons in managing resources and ecology from a cousin that bought some land nearby. There, Vernon Dill turned his garden into a showplace through composting grass clippings, leaves and wood chips.
In addition to almost-daily garden enrichment, the Dills have placed recycling containers for newspapers and aluminum cans in the laundry rooms at Village North. Carol also collects donated eyeglasses -- anything from sunglasses and reading glasses to prescription glasses -- which are picked up by Lions Club member Dick Klopfer for the Lions Eyeglasses Recycling Program.
"I have collected 550 pair in a little over five years. Americans waste so much of everything. With recycling, everyone wins. Even if there is no profit in it, it eliminates junk in our landfills."
Other residents and volunteers agree. Volunteer Charlie Hoffman collects clothing and donates it to a veteran's organization. Shirley Mueller -- another volunteer -- collects holiday and greeting cards for craft projects. And volunteer Sister Doris Probst collects used plastic soda bottles for Sister Barbara Boedeker to recycle into decorative butterflies that are sold in the Village North gift shop and other places.
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