Minton creates a sense of community at Heron East

It’s a Tuesday at Heron East, a sernior lifestyle community, and that means a morning exercise class. More than a dozen residents sit in chairs forming a circle with Bob Minton, program director, at the head.
Minton uses the opportunity to also stretch residents’ brains with a question. He prompts them to name a type of bird. Some struggle to name one while others list dozens. Minton waits patiently and takes the time to help each resident come up with an answer.

Whenever Minton goes on vacation, the residents of Heron East feel his absence. There isn’t a resident’s name he doesn’t know.

“He was gone for five days and we thought we were going to be so bored,” said resident Ester Casella.
For two years Minton has served as the resident program director at Heron East, but he never would have imagined he would be in the position when he first moved to Sarasota.

“I came down here from New York and was a manager of welders, but after eight years of doing that it became a different job,” he said. “The job was not becoming what I moved to Florida for.”

Minton knew someone who managed an assisted-living facility and asked if he could volunteer there. His time eventually led to a position as an activities director for Emeritus at Beneva Park. Over the years Minton found his way to what he considers his home at Heron East.

The residents whom Minton interacts with on a daily basis vary in conditions and abilities.

“What I try to do here is create a sense of community,” Minton said. “When you have something to look forward to it makes it better. You are providing them with something to do.”

His weekly itinerary for residents includes morning exercises classes, trivia and shopping days. Minton is always thinking of ways to enhance residents’ lives with new activities such as the Heron East Singers. This year he partnered with the SRQ Trolley Holiday Tour of Lights to arrange for residents to see local light displays. On the way back, Minton asked residents if they wanted to include a stop at the Mall at University Town Center.

“It was interesting, and many of them were saying, ‘My God, I haven’t been out at night since I couldn’t tell you when,’” he said.