The Garlands Gives Back - Meet Garlands Member Lynn Backer

Many Garlands members find new purpose as they pursue post-retirement passions on a volunteer basis. Meet some of the Garlands members for whom “giving back” and “paying it forward” are a big part of their inspired and engaging Garlands lifestyle.

Meet Garlands Member Lynne Backer

“I love helping and doing!”
– Lynne Backer,
Garlands member

Lynne Backer first discovered The Garlands of Barrington when her parents were looking for retirement living over twenty years ago. Fast forward two decades and after a 40-year career as an elementary school teacher and administrator, Lynne chose The Garlands for herself!

After a dedicated professional career, which included the publication of fifteen books (13 on teaching and two children’s books), Lynn’s volunteer career took off. “I love helping and doing!” says Lynne who believes she has “many reasons to be thankful every day, so it makes sense to ‘pay it forward.’”

And pay it forward she does, starting on Saturday mornings when she heads over to O’Hare International Airport to meet traveling military personnel at the USO Terminal 2 Center.

From making sandwiches, to tidying up, to answering the phone and checking guests in, Lynne helps facilitate whatever members of the military and their families might need. “Sometimes they just need someone to talk to,” says Lynne. “So, I listen,” adding,“I don’t think that we can do enough for our military—without them we wouldn’t have a free country.”

Love of country and a passion for history and education led Lynne to the Signal Hill Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) where she served as librarian for six years, places wreaths on Veterans’ graves with “Wreaths Across America,” and attends the Chapter’s annual afternoon tea fundraiser, which, coincidentally, is held at The Garlands.

An active member of the Barrington United Methodist Church, Lynne visits home-bound parishioners, teaches Vacation Bible School, contributes to, and works at the annual church rummage sale, and drives a fellow church member to church every Sunday.

Giving back and having a purposeful and productive retirement life comes natural to Lynne who says, “I like to try new things and meet new people, plus it’s good to keep your mind and your body active.”

Most recently she did what comes most naturally to her and put her experience as an educator and administrator back to work as she began a three-year term as a board member of Noah’s Ark Christian Academy.

To top her volunteer career off, Lynne makes time to give blood regularly saying, “It’s easy and painless, and they love my universal blood type!”