250 senior stories compiled into book to celebrate America at 25
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Paid Sponsor Partnership: Philadelphia Corporation for Aging
Three Oxford Enhanced Senior Living residents now share the bond of a book. It's called "Home, anew."
"'Home, anew.' is a collection of 252 voices in honor of the nation's 250th anniversary this year," says Tori Dubesky, regional life enrichment director for Marquis Health Consulting Services.
Self-taught artist Paula Pennie won the contest for the cover.
"I wanted something that would depict the semiquincentennial and something that depicted home and legacy. And so, I thought of a grandmother reading her story to her grandchildren on her front porch," says Paula Pennie, a resident of Oxford Enhanced Senior Living in Langhorne, PA.
The book is a project of Marquis Health Consulting Services.
"We have 16 communities between New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland and some of them are independent living, and some of them are assisted living or personal care," says Dubesky.
Residents, staff and family members across communities were given the same prompt, which Dubesky says was, "what does home, belonging and community mean to you?"
"Some people talked about their childhood homes," she says. "Some people talked about military service or their lifelong careers. Some people shared stories of love and of heartbreak."
"I contributed an article on tradition, something that we started in our family and we still do now," says Marie O'Brien, a resident of Oxford Enhanced Senior Living. "We passed it onto my son."
It's called Pysanky.
"It's the art of decorating eggs in the Ukrainian style," says O'Brien.
It's a time-consuming practice that involves using different dyes and wax to achieve a colorful design.
"It's fun, but it's also, you have to be very patient in it cause it's an intricate thing," she says.
Dubesky helped compile residents' written contributions.
"As you turn the page, each story is a very unique, and individualized, story about what somebody's journey looked like," she says.
"I decided to talk about my Uncle Dominic," says Rose Marie Hibbs, a resident of Oxford Enhanced Senior Living.
Hibbs penned a personal essay about her grandparents' immigration from Italy and the heartbreak of losing their ill child, Dominic.
"This was his crucifix," she says. "My mother gave it to me. I hold his crucifix every night when I say my prayers and pray to God, 'keep my children safe.'"
"Storytelling is such a powerful modality," says Dubesky. "There's a big identity shift when somebody moves into senior living. They're either selling their lifelong home, they're retiring. They're just starting a new chapter."
Stories like these help foster connection and community.
"Every story deserves to be celebrated," she says.
"Home, anew." can be purchased from Marquis Health Consulting Services. Proceeds from the book are going to support the American Heart Association's stationary cycling event coming up called CycleNation. It will be held locally on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at the Fountain View at Logan Square in Philadelphia, PA.
Oxford Enhanced Senior Living | Oxford Enhanced Senior Living | Langhorne, Bucks County PA Marquis Health Consulting Services | Marquis Health Consulting Services
Email to purchase "Home, anew." | homeanew@mqshealth.com
American Heart Association - CycleNation - local stationary cycling event on Thursday, September 24 at Fountain View at Logan Square in Philadelphia, PA | 2026 Philadelphia CycleNation - American Heart Association
Oxford Enhanced Senior Living
290 E. Winchester Ave.
Langhorne, PA 19047
CycleNation
Thursday, September 24, 2026
Fountain View at Logan Square 2 Franklin Town Boulevard Philadelphia, PA 19103