Shannon Apartments: The Party Place

by Linda Buchalo

The Shannon Apartment building was constructed in 1991, thanks to the generosity of Brian and Sue Shannon. The building is situated on the perimeter of the campus, directly across the road from the  Moore Aquatic and Fitness Center. 

Shannon Apartments is currently home to 56 male and female residents who are moderately  independent and able to perform daily living activities with limited assistance. Staff are available to  provide guidance, supervision, training, and other assistance. The apartments are also home to some very special residents, including Sr. Rosemary and Fr. Jack. 

While Shannon Apartments has had various renovations over the years, the basic structure of the  building has remained the same - a multi-unit dwelling with a large common gathering and dining area.  Residents live within their own apartment, and these vary in size, serving between one to five people.  The building is co-ed but each apartment is all male or all female. Each apartment has its own living room, dining room, and kitchen, in addition to the bedrooms and bathrooms. There are several offices and a meeting room on the main level. The lower level has a social center, game room, computer room, and three-lane bowling alley. These rooms are well-used, but during the recent pandemic, residents were especially appreciative of these extra amenities. 

A few residents have retired or now work part-time but most attend community day services or hold jobs in the community or in other areas on campus. Some residents have competitive employment,  including positions at McDonald’s, Lowes, Do-Rite Donuts, Lou Malnati’s, Sacred Heart Schools, and  

Northside Catholic Academy. Several residents work in the community in enclaves under the auspices of  a job coach. These group jobs include working at Loyola on the grounds or in the classrooms, Wagner  Farms, Wildlife Connections, and Community Gardens. Other residents work on campus or at places  associated with Misericordia, such as the Greenhouse Inn restaurant, the Misericordia Sweet Shoppe,  and the Misericordia Hearts & Flour Drive-Thru.  

Following the workday, residents structure their own free time and work well together within a group  setting. This makes for a very social group. When my son moved into this building several years ago,  another parent told him “You are moving into the party place.” Any occasion is reason to party. Birthday  celebrations might include a small group of friends or dinner for the building—and always, cake for all. A  monthly celebration is held to honor all anniversaries in that month; the day someone moves into their  new home is indeed a very special day to remember each year. And then there are date nights, with  special dinners, electric candlelight, and music. A glowing fireplace on the television screen adds a nice  touch to date night. 

A typical weekday begins at 7 AM, with everyone getting ready for work, eating breakfast in their  apartment, cleaning up afterwards, making their beds, completing their apartment chores, picking up  their lunch, and then heading off to work. Most residents return around 2:30 PM and often participate  in afternoon activities until dinner is served at 5 PM in the main dining room. Dinner begins with a  prayer circle and ends with after-dinner announcements and a final prayer. Residents rotate taking  responsibility for assisting with cleanup in the kitchen and dining room. These chores include clearing  and cleaning the tables, doing dishes, and putting the chairs on top of the tables for sweeping. Prior to  dinner, some residents help with setting the table and folding napkins.

A familiar evening ritual is Wheel of Fortune at 6:30, followed by a campus walk or other indoor exercise  opportunity. Ad hoc leisure activities include board games, card games, Wii games, bowling, coloring mandalas, movies, and any music-related activity. Pool, Fitness Center, Team Sports, Special Olympics,  Choir, and Sewing and Latch Hook are sponsored by the recreation department and provide additional  opportunities to keep residents engaged. 

In the community, residents enjoy going to the movies, shopping, going out to eat, attending ball games, and going for walks. Some planned activities occur on a regular basis, including bingo, nail spa, karaoke,  talent shows, dance parties, meditation, prayer group, menu planning club, game night, movie night,  cooking/baking classes, and happy hour. 

Special outings and activities have included concerts at Ravinia (Taylor Swift, James Taylor), Cubs games,  Sox games, Bears games, Jeopardy tournaments, Name That Tune contests, and bowling tournaments.  At Halloween, the apartments host trick-or-treating for younger children in the Misericordia outreach  program. The residents love handing out the candy and seeing all the children in their costumes. During  the pandemic, in the absence of Family Fest, Shannon staff hosted Shannon Fest and summer camp. 

Another nice program for the residents is a cooperative program with the CPD. Officer Star and Officer Christina come to Shannon Apartments to help residents learn about community safety. The residents  then talk to them about their lives at Misericordia. 

Interaction with residents from other areas includes participation in campus parades, holiday parties,  the Heartzingers choir, and Showtime. 

The Shannon Apartment residents are aware of their many blessings and engage in some activities to  give back to others. During Lent, they donate money to the Rice Bowl, which goes to feed the hungry in the  diocese. Residents also donate to Sr. Rosemary’s Candy Day fundraising page in honor of her birthday. 

The following quotes from residents summarize the Shannon culture—a group of very happy people  who always come together in the end, and whose lives reflect one of the best times of life. 

• Terry: “I’m so lucky because God has given me the gift of happiness.” 
• Michelle: “We fight a lot, but we always get along.” 
• Andy: ”Shannon Apartments is like going to college except you don’t have to get a degree.” And just to make you smile, a few more random quotes from Shannon residents: 
• “How old were you when you were younger?” 
• “I’m not being selfish; I’m just thinking about myself.” 
• “If you snore it cleans out your conscience.” 
• “I was having a great day until it got worse.” 

I hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse into the lives of residents at Shannon Apartments. The next time you  are on campus and hear music and merriment, chances are it’s another party at the party place.