SURPASS LIVING
Harvest and Gratitude Theme Week GRATITUDE HARVEST A Weeklong Community Display Residents, families, team members, visitors, volunteers, and community partners add messages of gratitude to a growing harvest display throughout the week. Every contribution becomes part of a visible community harvest of kindness, appreciation, joy, and connection.
Weeklong Gratitude Harvest Display Guide | Surpass Living
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PROGRAM SNAPSHOT Item
Details
Theme Week
Harvest and Gratitude Theme Week
Program Type
Weeklong community gratitude activity and growing visual display
Suggested Length
Rolling drop-in participation throughout the week, with a 30-45 minute closing gratitude gathering.
Group Style
Creative station, personal reflection, controlled-choice conversation, family participation, resident leadership, and community connection.
Program Purpose
Invite residents, families, team members, visitors, volunteers, and partners to notice kindness, name what makes the community meaningful, and add messages to a shared harvest display.
Finished Display
Paper messages gathered on a wall, bulletin board, paper tree, baskets, or a community-created harvest scene.
Program Tone
Messages may be sincere, practical, humorous, simple, or reflective. Gratitude is invited, never required. Contributors choose what feels comfortable to share.
Weeklong Gratitude Harvest Display Guide | Surpass Living
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RECOMMENDED WEEKLONG FLOW The display should grow visibly from the beginning of Theme Week through the closing gathering. Time or Phase
Activity
Resident Roles
Before the Week
Choose a supervised display location, prepare harvest shapes, post the invitation, set out prompts and supplies, and invite every department and family.
Choose colors and shapes, name the display, organize supplies, decorate the background, and help select the location.
Day 1 - People
Invite messages about someone who makes the community brighter or helps it feel welcoming.
Choose a person or department, dictate or write, interview someone, or place messages on the display.
Day 2 Kindness
Invite contributors to notice a kindness, helpful action, or thoughtful moment.
Observe, name, draw, dictate, read completed messages, or invite a team member to contribute.
Day 3 - Home and Joy
Invite messages about what makes the community feel like home or something that brings joy.
Choose between prompts, add a symbol, decorate a shape, sort messages, or serve as a display ambassador.
Day 4 Celebration
Invite messages about something worth celebrating, something the community does well, or hope for the season ahead.
Welcome guests, update the display, choose messages to read, count shapes, or help lead the closing gathering.
Closing Gathering
Pause near the completed Gratitude Harvest. Read selected messages with permission, recognize broad participation, invite applause, and capture the BRANCH story.
Welcome, read, choose, hold the display sign, lead applause, share a reflection, or pose with the completed harvest.
Weeklong Gratitude Harvest Display Guide | Surpass Living
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BEFORE THE PROGRAM Area
Preparation
Display Plan
Choose a high-traffic, supervised location. Create a paper tree, vine, field, baskets, or harvest scene with generous open space so messages can grow throughout the week.
Creation Station
Place large paper cards, thick markers, pens, stickers, tape, prompt cards, clipboards, and a finished-message basket at an accessible table.
Invitation Plan
Post the table sign and share invitations through newsletters, email, visits, team huddles, dining, family events, tours, volunteer programs, and the front desk.
Resident Leadership
Identify residents who may enjoy serving as greeters, prompt readers, interviewers, message writers, decorators, display helpers, counters, or closing-gathering hosts.
Readability
Use dark ink, high contrast, large handwriting, uncluttered backgrounds, and matte paper when possible. Place the display where it can be viewed without glare.
Privacy
Use first names, initials, departments, or general descriptions. Do not include confidential health information. Ask permission before reading or photographing a personal message.
Closing Plan
Choose when the display will be celebrated, how messages will be read, and whether the completed harvest will remain on display after Theme Week.
Weeklong Gratitude Harvest Display Guide | Surpass Living
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MATERIALS AND CLICKABLE SUPPLY LINKS Prepare the station before Theme Week. Use community supplies when available and the linked examples when additional items are needed.
Materials ■ Large blank cardstock cards or colored paper
■ Clipboards and nonslip writing surfaces
■ Apple paper cutouts LINK
■ Fall leaf and pumpkin garland LINK
■ Pumpkin paper cutouts LINK
■ Harvest basket with pumpkins LINK
■ Thick dark markers and colored pencils
■ Baskets or trays for blank and finished messages
■ Stickers, stamps, ribbon, or washi tape
■ Signs and prompt pages from this guide
■ Thankful tree bulletin-board set LINK
DISPLAY FOUNDATION Choose one simple background: a paper tree, gratitude vine, harvest baskets, orchard branches, or a pumpkin patch.
Weeklong Gratitude Harvest Display Guide | Surpass Living
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GRATITUDE PROMPTS AND SENTENCE STARTERS Use open prompts first. Offer a sentence starter or two clear choices when someone wants more structure.
Prompt Theme
Open Prompts
Sentence Starters or Choices
People
Who makes this community brighter? Who helps you feel welcome, comfortable, or included?
I appreciate... • Thank you for... • A person who helps is...
Kindness
What kindness have you noticed? What small helpful action deserves recognition?
A kindness I noticed... • It helps when... • Kind words or a helping hand?
Home
What helps a place feel like home? What makes a room, meal, program, or gathering welcoming?
This feels like home when... • I enjoy... • Familiar music or familiar food?
Joy
What brings a smile, comfort, laughter, or peace? What small moment made today brighter?
Something that brings me joy... • I smile when... • Music or flowers?
Celebration
What is worth celebrating? What does our community do well?
I celebrate... • Our community is good at... • Friendship or teamwork?
Advice
What helps gratitude grow? How can people show appreciation without spending money?
Never forget to... • A good thank-you... • Say it or write it?
Hope
What would you like more of in the season ahead? What kind of community do we want to keep building?
I hope for... • Let us keep... • More laughter or more time together?
Weeklong Gratitude Harvest Display Guide | Surpass Living
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WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE AND RESIDENT ROLES Participation Choice
How It Works
Possible Resident Leadership
Write a Message
Write a word, sentence, thank-you, observation, hope, or advice.
Choose the prompt, write independently, sign or initial, and place the message.
Dictate Exact Words
A family member, volunteer, or team member records the contributor's exact words and reads them back.
Speak, approve the wording, and decide whether it may be read aloud.
Draw or Add a Symbol
Draw a person, heart, flower, home, musical note, helping hand, meal, or other symbol.
Choose the image, colors, placement, and meaning.
Choose Between Options
Select one of two prompts, words, pictures, or completed message starters.
Make the final choice and direct a partner.
Interview Someone
Ask a resident, family member, visitor, or team member one gratitude prompt.
Serve as interviewer, greeter, or Gratitude Harvest ambassador.
Decorate and Organize
Add stickers or borders, sort cards by color or theme, or arrange the display.
Make design decisions and help the harvest grow visibly.
Read and Celebrate
Read selected messages, choose favorites, lead applause, or welcome participants.
Serve as reader, host, presenter, or celebration leader.
Weeklong Gratitude Harvest Display Guide | Surpass Living
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STORYTELLING AND BRANCH CONNECTION The story is not simply that people wrote on cards. The story is that they noticed kindness, named what matters, and made appreciation visible together.
BRANCH Link
How It Shows Up
Belonging
Every part of the community is invited to add one message to a shared display.
Respect
People, departments, daily contributions, cultures, values, humor, and individual ways of expressing gratitude are recognized.
Autonomy
Contributors choose the prompt, message, participation method, and whether their words may be read or photographed.
Nurture
Dictation, controlled choice, drawing, decorating, and supportive conversation make contribution possible without pressure.
Connection
The growing display invites residents, families, team members, visitors, and partners to pause, read, smile, and talk together.
Hope
Each new message shows that kindness, appreciation, and community can continue growing beyond Theme Week.
FAMILY, TOUR, AND COMMUNITY SHARING SCRIPT
Our Gratitude Harvest is growing throughout the week. Residents, families, team members, and visitors are adding messages about people, kindness, home, joy, celebration, and hope. Each contribution becomes part of a visible harvest showing what helps our community feel connected. You are warmly invited to add one.
Weeklong Gratitude Harvest Display Guide | Surpass Living
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PHOTO AND STORY PROMPTS Follow community photography and permission policies. Capture resident choice, contribution, leadership, connection, and the display's growth.
Photo Moment
BRANCH Story Angle
A resident choosing a prompt or blank card.
Autonomy: the resident controls how the contribution begins.
A resident writing, dictating, drawing, or approving a message.
Respect and Nurture: support preserves the person's exact meaning and preferred way to participate.
A resident interviewing a family member or team member.
Connection: the resident holds a meaningful social and leadership role.
A contributor placing a message on the display.
Belonging: one individual message becomes part of the shared community harvest.
Residents sorting or arranging completed messages.
Autonomy: resident decisions shape the final visual presentation.
Families, visitors, or team members reading the display.
Connection and Respect: the display becomes a place to notice and discuss what matters.
The completed Gratitude Harvest at the closing gathering.
Hope: many small contributions create one visible expression of community strength.
SUGGESTED PHOTO CAPTION
Our Gratitude Harvest grew as residents, families, team members, and friends celebrated kindness, joy, and belonging.
Weeklong Gratitude Harvest Display Guide | Surpass Living
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GRATITUDE HARVEST Add one message to our growing community display
1
2
3
CHOOSE Choose a gratitude prompt.
CREATE Write, dictate, draw, decorate, or choose a message.
SHARE Add your message to our Gratitude Harvest display.
Every message adds something meaningful to our community harvest. Weeklong Gratitude Harvest Display Guide | Surpass Living
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PRINTABLE GRATITUDE MESSAGE CARDS
Someone who makes our community brighter...
First name or initials: __________________________________
Someone who makes our community brighter...
First name or initials: __________________________________
Weeklong Gratitude Harvest Display Guide | Surpass Living
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PRINTABLE GRATITUDE MESSAGE CARDS
A kindness I noticed...
First name or initials: __________________________________
A kindness I noticed...
First name or initials: __________________________________
Weeklong Gratitude Harvest Display Guide | Surpass Living
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PRINTABLE GRATITUDE MESSAGE CARDS
Something worth celebrating...
First name or initials: __________________________________
Something worth celebrating...
First name or initials: __________________________________
Weeklong Gratitude Harvest Display Guide | Surpass Living
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PRINTABLE GRATITUDE MESSAGE CARDS
Something that brings me joy...
First name or initials: __________________________________
Something that brings me joy...
First name or initials: __________________________________
Weeklong Gratitude Harvest Display Guide | Surpass Living
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OUR GRATITUDE HARVEST IS GROWING Residents, families, team members, visitors, and friends are invited to stop by.
1
CHOOSE
Choose a harvest shape and a prompt.
2
CREATE
Write, dictate, draw, decorate, or select a message.
3
SHARE
Add your message to our growing display.
LOCATION: __________________________________________ WHEN: ______________________________________________
Every contribution adds something meaningful to our community harvest.
Weeklong Gratitude Harvest Display Guide | Surpass Living
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FAMILY EMAIL EXAMPLE Use the wording below in email, newsletters, or family communication. Replace the bracketed details.
SUBJECT
You Are Invited to Add to Our Gratitude Harvest Dear Families, Throughout Harvest and Gratitude Theme Week, our community will be creating a Gratitude Harvest display filled with messages from residents, families, team members, visitors, volunteers, and friends. We invite you to stop by [location] during [dates or times] and add a message. You may recognize someone who makes the community brighter, share a kindness you have noticed, name something that brings joy, or offer a hope for the season ahead. You can write, dictate, draw, decorate, or choose from one of our large-print prompts. A word or short message is more than enough. If you cannot participate in person, please reply to this email with a brief message and we will add your words to the display. We look forward to watching our shared harvest grow throughout the week. Warmly, [Name and Title] | [Community Name]
Weeklong Gratitude Harvest Display Guide | Surpass Living
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LARGE-PRINT GRATITUDE PROMPTS Use these as visible sentence starters for residents, families, visitors, and team members.
A person who helps is...
A kindness I noticed...
I appreciate...
Someone who makes our community brighter is...
Something I am thankful for today is...
Weeklong Gratitude Harvest Display Guide | Surpass Living
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LARGE-PRINT GRATITUDE PROMPTS Use these as visible sentence starters for residents, families, visitors, and team members.
This feels like home when...
I smile when...
I celebrate when...
A good thank-you sounds like...
My hope for our community is...
Weeklong Gratitude Harvest Display Guide | Surpass Living
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