It may indeed take a village to raise a child. But it takes fellowship to financially care for the elderly.

Over the 52 years of its existence, Landis Homes' Fellowship Days has forged an inspiring tradition revolving around community, aiding residents and friendship. For six days in mid-September, the community will come together to renew that tradition and create new meaningful memories.

"It's an opportunity for folks to sit down with their friends and relatives," said Janice Nikoloff, who's been Landis Homes Retirement Community's advancement events specialist for four years. "People are also running into people they haven't seen in a while or meeting new people. We have 900 residents here, so not everybody knows everybody else. We're bringing activities and fun things to our campus. But what's behind everything is the Caring Fund."

Landis Homes will conduct its annual Fellowship Days from Monday, Sept. 9, to Saturday, Sept. 14, at the retirement community's campus, 1001 E. Oregon Road, Lititz. There will be games, food and kids' activities throughout the week, and everyone - residents, families, team members, community members and friends - is invited to attend the free event.

Fellowship Days will be highlighted by a chicken barbecue, a crafters' fair and an action-packed live auction of 46 handmade quilts.

"We have an auctioneer, and (the quilt auction is) very exciting," said Nikoloff. "We explain about the quilts, their history and the work that goes into them. It's very skilled work. You couldn't put a price tag on them for the hours spent on them. They're wonderful pieces of art."

Landis Homes' Fellowship Days will begin with an online auction on Monday; items can be viewed and bid on at http://www.landisfellowshipday.org. Festivities on Tuesday, Sept. 10, will feature an Olympics-themed parade fronted by the Manheim Township High School band's drumline, and an ice cream social will highlight the event on Wednesday, Sept. 11.

Thursday, Sept. 12, will include a pancake breakfast in the morning and a talent show in the afternoon, and Friday, Sept. 13, has been designated as Harvest Day. Saturday will be the day for the live quilt auction and the chicken barbecue, as well as displays and presentations.

"There are a lot of highlights," said Nikoloff. "We try to make it exciting."

All the proceeds from Fellowship Days will go toward Landis Homes Retirement Community's Caring Fund, which is used for residents whose costs of care have exceeded their resources. This year, Landis Homes is financially supporting 46 residents who have run out of finances.

"(The negative balance is) millions of dollars, and we raise a portion of that," said Nikoloff. "It's truly residents outliving their resources. A lot of it is their health has declined in a way they couldn't have anticipated. We're never going to ask anyone to leave. Some people have been here for 20 years."

Landis Homes Retirement Community was founded in 1964 to give returning Mennonite missionaries a place to live.

"It has kept going, and we keep adding homes and cottages on campus," said Nikoloff. "The mission is to stay true to the Mennonite thinking and traditions. Our efforts here are to make sure there's a high quality of life for everyone. But it's also about fun, not just health care. It's very personal here."

For additional information about Landis Homes Retirement Community, go to http://www.landishomes.org.