If you walk through Village Shalom at just the right time, you’ll hear it before you see her.
A familiar tune.
A melody that feels like it belongs.
And more often than not, you’ll find Mara Balke at the piano.
At Village Shalom, a senior living community in the Kansas City area, volunteers like Mara play an important role in bringing connection and joy to residents each day.
A Volunteer Bringing Music and Connection
Mara has been sharing her gift of music with our residents for years, playing several times a week throughout the community as part of her ongoing volunteer work at Village Shalom. It’s not a performance—it’s something much more natural than that.
She plays because she loves music.
And because she knows what it brings to others.
The songs she chooses aren’t random. They’re the ones that mean something—the ones that take people back. You’ll see residents pause, smile, hum along, or quietly tap their hands to the rhythm. For a few minutes, the music has a way of bringing everything into focus.
Mara’s connection to Village Shalom is also a personal one.
She regularly visits her mother, Joie Tenenbaum, and over time, those visits have naturally extended beyond just time together. What started as something personal has become something that touches the lives of so many across our community.
There’s something special about the way Mara shares her time here.
She’s not looking for recognition.
She’s not looking for attention.
She simply shows up, sits down at the piano, and plays.
And in doing so, she creates moments—moments of connection, familiarity, and joy—that stay with people long after the music ends.
As part of our Summer of Champions, we’re celebrating the many ways people show up for our community.
Sometimes it’s through big gestures.
And sometimes, it’s through something as simple—and as powerful—as a song.
Mara is one of those champions.
And she’s one of the many reasons our Kansas City community continues to feel so connected here at Village Shalom.
