“That survey really yielded a lot more for me than I thought it would,” Mary said. “It affirmed my belief that we were doing a lot of the right things.”

Front Porch communities are making individual decisions to conserve and support the environment, and the overall impact is significant. More than half of Front Porch’s communities have replaced incandescent bulbs with energy efficient LEDs; half have drought-resistant landscaping and water efficient irrigation systems; almost two-thirds have electric vehicle charging stations; and virtually all support recycling efforts, including e-waste. On top of this, individual communities have made individual choices that support green practices, such as Meatless Mondays, tankless water heaters, and solar power projects installed or under consideration.

Nancy Frost, a resident of Canterbury Woods in Pacific Grove, has been encouraging the community’s environmental efforts since she moved in more than 10 years ago. A former employee of the Environmental Protection Agency, Nancy has developed Earth Day programs to keep residents and staff informed about the individual steps they can take. This year, in keeping with the Earth Day theme of Planet vs. Plastics, she is preparing an educational program about plastics, including how to manage the film plastics that are recyclable but not collected by waste haulers.

She’s also educating about hidden plastics. “There’s lots of things that contain plastic that we don’t think about, like tea bags and bottle caps, that you can’t put in a recycle bin,” Nancy explains. “Take away paper cups and paper food containers, they’re all lined with plastic. That makes them trash, not recyclable. So what do you do instead? You get a mug and instead of taking the paper container, you get one of the reusable plastic containers.”

Nancy urges people to take things one step at a time. “One of my display boards for Earth Day this year is going to be Kermit the Frog, and it says, ‘It’s not easy being green, but it’s do-able,’” Nancy says. “I think that’s really wonderful way to put it. It’s just minor little changes. They add up and they add up. And if one year you make a change in one direction, and then you keep that in the next year, you add another one. You don’t have to do it all at the same time. You prioritize what you can do and start doing it.”

At Vista del Monte in Santa Barbara, Executive Director Doug Tucker has been working with the community and prioritizing water conservation in multiple ways. When he first arrived, the community was reviewing its landscaping which had included a lawn in the middle of the campus. “The residents had a slogan: ‘Brown is the new gold’ because they couldn’t water the grass,” he says. The community replaced the water-greedy grass with faux grass in the middle park area and then replanted most of the campus’s landscaping with drought tolerant planting.

But that was only the first step. The community is waiting for final approval from the City of Santa Barbara to engage in phase two. “What we instructed the landscape architect to do is to utilize water saving technologies,” Doug explains. “Some of the things that we’re focusing on is storm water management and returning water back to the groundwater, so we’re putting in permeable pavers, bio basins, and a 3000 gallon catch basin at the entrances and throughout the campus that will move water around the campus for stormwater management, but also to help return water to the aquifers.”

Although the community is allotted 848,000 gallons of water a year for landscaping, it is estimated that with the landscaping changes, the community will only use about 453,000 gallons annually. The landscaping project and its efforts toward water conservation continues the theme that was originally started about 8 years ago, Doug says.

“I’m a firm believer in being an environmental steward,” Doug says. “Being in Santa Barbara with the type of community and the number of residents that we serve, I think that we have a great opportunity to show our environmental stewardship with a lot of the programs that we bring to the community.”

“When you adopt green practices, in order for it to be effective, it has to be personal,” says Mary. “The shift in our communities is exciting to see. Perhaps we need to adjust and reinvent as we move along, but this information about our green practices as an organization gives us a foundation that we up until now really haven’t had.”

In reviewing the Green Initiatives survey, Mary says, “I think that sitting for a moment and taking an inventory of everybody’s good ideas was inspirational. Now that we’ve pulled all this information together, we can actually strategize around it.”

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Evidence of noticing and enacting change can accompany days of recognition as we have here. I’m fortunate to have seen several cultural progressions in my lifetime. Today, we celebrate diversity of all sorts in our world and have ways of learning about one another that are often born from these moments. “celebrations” can help break down barriers and remind us of the ground we’ve covered on our shared human journeys. The Civil Rights Act of the 1960s, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Marriage Equality Act of 2011 have all bridged some divides. Motion forward is always good even as our work continues.

This “Senior Citizens Day,” I’m asking we all encourage conversations around “ageism.” Despite a cultural bias about aging here in America, the number of people 65 years old and above will more than double by 2040 and the number of people over 85 will quadruple. For the first time in U.S. history, older people will outnumber younger generations. There is similar disparity in generations throughout the world. The impacts are massive and will be untenable unless we can recognize the real possibilities that exist in lives where people are connected in community, learning from one another and continuing to drive lives with greater focus on purpose, health, and well-being through means that are constantly evolving.

How do we move forward? Language is powerful. Changing how we use it can have impact. Ageism is frequently unnoticeable and can be found in casual conversations. For example, we say someone is “still” working when they work beyond the “traditional” retirement age. As if remaining in the workforce is remarkable. This unconscious bias may seem innocuous, but actually perpetuates ageism.

Yesterday, our colleague Katie Wade posted a note on LinkedIn around the premise of a question asked in a column in The New York Times: “How old is too old?” The words are disabling and ignore the reality that we actually grow and strengthen in so many ways that are too often ignored, let alone celebrated! And by the way, the truth about working older adults is that nearly 22% of Americans ages 65 and older are part of our country’s workforce, some out of necessity to supplement their income but many because they know they have something more to contribute.

Another way to make a difference is to think differently about retirement and have conversations with people from all walks of life and learn what they feel retirement means. Unlike the generation that came before them, boomers view it far differently. For a boomer today, retirement can mean travel, continuing education, mentoring, second careers, volunteering, sports, or a host of other significant life events that are far from passive and belie the notion of “retiring,” which at its root means “to go away.”

In our work, we struggle with terms such as “retirement” and “senior citizen.” Let’s keep asking ourselves, “How do we want to be referred to?” A recent joint study from the American Medical Association, the Gerontological Society of America, the American Psychological Association and Associated Press says that terms such as seniors, elderly, the aged, aging dependents, old-old, young-old, and similar terms connote a stereotype and thus should not be used. Instead, terms such as older persons, older people, older adults, older patients, older individuals, persons 65 years and older, or the older population are preferred.

Do you agree? Have things changed again? Talk about it. Ask questions. Explore opportunities to change the narrative around aging and become an advocate of awareness. There’s always more than we might imagine. Let’s go!

— Sean Kelly

Chief Executive Officer

Front Porch

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At Front Porch, we have Front Porch University, not a place but a culture, which promotes leadership engagement in order to build and grow a Front Porch culture of learning that translates learning into a well-prepared, innovative workforce. One of its signature programs is Managers in Motion (MIM), a distinctive program specifically designed to give middle managers the tools to become successfully engaged, accountable and respectful leaders.

Since the program began, almost 80 managers have participated with more to come. Recently, 15 graduated from the program who work at Front Porch’s Northern California senior living and affordable housing communities as well as those working within Front Porch’s Community Services programs.

MIM is a is very hands-on “workshopy” rather than “sit back and listen” type of program. During this eight-month leadership training, everyone jumps in and supports each other. Reflective “thought-work” between meetings keeps MIMs engaged throughout the program. Participants are often surprised at how interactive the workshops are and how the content is so relevant to their current work.

MIM uses small groups from each Front Porch community who then model and share their developed skills and new knowledge with others to benefit their communities and the organization as a whole.  MIM participants note that meeting other managers from different communities is so valuable because they learn that they are not alone in dealing with some of the same management issues.

This experience is a unique touch point for our managers. They get to reflect both on their own leadership and experiment with colleagues in a safe, interactive learning environment.

MIMs meet both in person and through check-in Zoom meetings. Three major areas of focus are accountability, team and trust building and working through content.

MIMs have opportunities for reflection, self-assessment, practice, real-life scenario-share, leadership activities, and have an opportunity to meet and talk with guest leaders. A residual effect of the program is how managers feel part of the greater Front Porch whole, engaged and confident.

Feeling a part of the greater whole adds meaning to our work lives. As a values-driven organization, Front Porch understands that leadership is not just about managing tasks and people; it is about inspiring and guiding others toward a common goal. That is why our Managers in Motion program focuses on cultivating a strong sense of purpose among our leaders as well as a path to career growth. By equipping them with the necessary tools and resources, we aim to foster a strong culture that permeates throughout our organization. Watch a video to learn more.

I’m so proud of all of our MIMs. They are inspiring as they continue to learn and grow as leaders. 

— Lauren Moulton-Beaudry, Ed.D

Vice President of Ethics and Education

Front Porch

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Rated one of the top 100 self-taught artists in the country, Leon has lived and worked in Oakland, California for over 25 years and has been a resident of Oak Center Towers, an affordable housing community owned and operated by Front Porch, for nine.

If you are out, about, and aware, you may run into him on an Oakland street, capturing on canvas the people and scenes of Bay Area life. His works are coveted by prominent Folk Art collectors everywhere, and even appear in the Smithsonian Institute.

Leon paints on “everything.” Some of his most impressive works have been captured on bed sheets he has found on the streets. Works on wood, tables and chairs, glass, and metal (even hubcaps) have been known to grace a thorough Kennedy collection. Many of the materials he works with come from the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse in Oakland. He creates his artworks with markers, paints, crayons, beads, glitter, cotton, yarn, and rope.

Community is a central part of Leon’s vision of life, as shown in his painting, “Thou Shalt Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself.” Leon explains that his art stems from his love for humanity, and he especially loves to paint the faces of the people that matter most to him, his close friends and family and neighbors.

“I love to see a picture of the beauty of old faces, young faces, all colors,” he says. “Everyone has their own beauty, everyone has character, and everyone goes through something. My work is based on community and family, and I love doing the faces and showing the heart and love. The heart of the community — you call it love.”

“The main idea of my art is concern for people, encouraging someone else,” he said. “I love when someone loves the work, and feels touched. We’re here to serve and love and encourage one another. When I get a vision, I hope it helps someone.”

He has long had a vision as an artist. “As a child I knew that art was my vocation,” Leon said. Born in 1945 in Houston, Texas, he moved to the Bay Area in 1965. He lived in San Francisco’s Mission District in the 1970s and painted his first public mural in Hunter’s Point during that time. In Oakland, Leon began by painting on cloth, but he soon ran out of canvas, so he started painting on bed sheets and other found materials.

It seems fitting that he often finds his “canvases” on the street. “My art studio is the street,” Leon explained. “I paint on bed sheets that I hang on wooden fences and building walls.”

He explains that artistic visions constantly come to him. Living at Oak Center Towers provides him with a steady home base as well as a community from which to draw inspiration. “I love the variety of people here, I love my view of downtown,” he said. “The staff here is so supportive; anything that needs fixed is taken care of right away. I’m also inspired by the other artists here. I’d love to bring them all together so the world can see our creativity.”

Learn more about Leon Kennedy and his artwork on his website.

*This post was adapted from an article previously published in the Fall 2019 edition of Community Matters, a publication of the Front Porch Communities Foundation, with quotes adapted from a Street Spirit article from April 2014. Read the most recent edition of Communities Matters here.

The Front Porch Communities Foundation supports innovative programs and community improvements that deliver real benefit to residents, employees, and program participants across the Front Porch organization. To learn more, visit https://frontporch.net/philanthropy/.

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At Canterbury Woods in Pacific Grove, there’s been no shortage of improvements across the community, including a fresh coat of paint on all the building exteriors. A few even have a new roof! It’s safe to say our residents’ favorite upgrade, however, has been the new self-serve coffee machine. Additionally, residents who pride themselves on having a green thumb are already looking toward the spring. They planted more than 200 daffodils, mini daffodils, and narcissus bulbs, as well as plenty of poppy seeds. We’re excited to see the results!

In Palo Alto, Webster House residents continue to foster growth and exploration. From new exercise options like Tai Chi and Qi Gong to stretching, toning, and weight classes, we’re staying fit and on our game! Our Superfood Cart has been rolling to residents’ doors throughout the year, sharing new healthy snacks each month. We’ve resumed our monthly lunch outings and, in December, we’ll be headed to the theater to see a performance of It’s a Wonderful Life. With everything from TED talks and meditation workshops to virtual outings through our Well Connected Museums at Home tours, we’ve got plenty to talk about and look forward to as 2022 rolls in.

At San Francisco Towers, our residents are exploring our new online resident portal to build connections and community digitally. We’re also celebrating the return of happy hours, social mixers, and performing arts outings. We celebrated our 24^th anniversary at the beginning of November, were recognized by US News and World Report in the elite 13% of high performing properties in 2021-22 Best Nursing Homes rankings, and construction is moving ahead for our new Memory Care neighborhood opening in Spring 2022. The future promises continued excitement and activity!

At St. Paul’s Towers, it truly has been a year of growth as a community. We also marked our 55^th anniversary as a Life Plan community in the East Bay, offering a wide range of care levels to meet the evolving needs of our residents. For the holidays, we’ve been reflecting on the meaning of Christmas through our Advent series, and we enjoyed our Chanukah candle lighting ceremony accompanied by songs, stories, and refreshments. In addition to our spiritual events, residents love socializing at our annual Christmas tree lighting party. And we are all looking forward to celebrating New Year’s Eve at another get-together.

At Spring Lake Village in Santa Rosa, being able to come together for in-person activities and outings once again has been one of the highlights of our year. In the spirit of the holidays, we’ve put up our beautifully decorated Tree of Hope in the lobby, which puts a smile on the faces of many residents. On December 8^th, new and long-time residents were delighted to see dining staff dressed up as Charles Dickens characters, an annual tradition. And we are all eagerly anticipating our upcoming holiday sing-along in the Chapel on December 21st. Whatever the season, we’re grateful to be able to gather as a community to celebrate.

Also in Santa Rosa, at Friends House, we’ve made several improvements to the property, and we are planning to add more apartments in 2022. Updates to our dining area and fitness center are also on the horizon! Expanded care levels mean we have new options to offer, including our new high acuity assisted living health center, which is unique in the area. And with plenty of holiday activities to keep our residents busy, we’re closing out the year on a high note.

As the affiliation between Covia and Front Porch continues to strengthen, we’re looking forward to even more great things to come. Here’s to a great 2022 and beyond!

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“Casa is our home and we want to help the community, staff and residents in as many ways possible,” Judy said. “The more we learned about the work of the Foundation, the more we wanted to support both employees and residents.”

Larry and Judy, both retired educators, hold a special place in their hearts for those employees and employees’ family members who want to continue their education with the help of a philanthropic scholarship. Casa de Mañana residents last year awarded 17 employee scholarships and, through the separate “Casa de Futuro” scholarship fund, provided awards to five children of Casa de Mañana staff members, many of whom are the first in their family to attend college.

The Casa de Mañana Philanthropy Committee this year is also working with the Foundation team to provide school supplies for staff members’ elementary school-age children.

Each summer, the Sowders look forward to “Philanthropy Week” at Casa, a week of activities and events programmed by the community’s Philanthropy Committee and Foundation staff to educate residents and raise charitable gifts to support the funds they care about. “It’s not only a fun time but a time when residents can really get an education on why the Foundation’s work is so important and how they can get involved,” Judy said.

*This story was originally shared in the Community Matters newsletter

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Carving her path to aging and wellness, Joanne also demonstrates leadership in her giving plans. She uses a Donor Advised Fund (DAF), which allows her to make generous, tax smart gifts throughout the year. While she often makes gifts to the Foundation for her community’s Staff Scholarship Fund and the Fitness and Aquatic Center, she recently made a major gift to support the Vista del Monte memory care program, Summer House.

“When I was a child, my family had a practice of giving back to others. I’ve kept this practice throughout my adult life and love giving to programs that serve people in my local community. Summer House serves residents at VDM who have various stages of dementia and Alzheimer’s.”

*This story was originally shared in the Community Matters newsletter

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Now, as a new organization, Front Porch has adopted a new set of core values – built on the values already being lived out in Front Porch’s communities and programs. “These two reports demonstrate how our organizations have continued to pursue our common mission, vision and values throughout this difficult year,” said John Woodward, CEO.

“It was no doubt a difficult year as the world faced the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Sally Plank, senior vice president of organizational accountability. “However, at Front Porch, the strength of community and spirit of the individual was never more evident than during these challenging times.”

Front Porch’s values, including Connect, Collaborate, Build Trust, and Embrace Change are on full display in the video summary of the Impact Report and Social Accountability Report. The Collaborative Quilt Project and the Creative Aging Symposium demonstrate the organization’s commitment to the value of Inspiring Creativity. The proactive response to keeping people safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, including communications, continuity of care, and adapting services such as meal delivery to residents, are examples of Leading Responsibly.

Plank shared, “We are thankful to our residents, whose patience and resilience showed true spirit and strength. We are equally grateful to our staff for their commitment to the safety and security of our residents. Your courageous response is the value of a true community.”

Watch the video here.

Click here to see the full Impact Report.

Click here to read the Social Accountability Report.

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Front Porch has successfully refinanced the majority of its debt, reducing its aggregate average debt service by more than $5 million annually. The Series A and Series B bonds sold for $305,565,000 and are exempt from federal and state income tax.

The organization presented its Series 2021 bonds to market on August 19^th with more than 50 investors participating. Prior to going to market, Front Porch received an A rating from Fitch and an A- rating from S & P, with both rating agencies affirming a stable outlook.

By refinancing the combined debt, Front Porch has been able to streamline its debt profile, achieve cost savings, lock in long term committed capital, and level overall aggregate debt service, according to Diana Jamison, Chief Capital Strategy Officer.

“Like most successful endeavors, it was through the hard work, dedication and commitment from multiple team members that we achieved this tremendous outcome,” noted Ed Salvador, Chief Financial Officer.

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“Getting in front of a camera is no easy thing,” says Jen Sabaot, Front Porch’s director of communications, who spearheaded the project. “If you know how stressful it is to be in a Zoom call, imagine how stressful it is to be in front of a camera and asked to give your personal story.” To help put video participants at ease, Jen got to know each one individually and sent some sample questions in advance. “Without that time getting to know each other, I don’t think we would have been able to get as authentic as we did.”

“I had a really incredible experience,” Victor Ceron, senior director of facilities, says of the filming process. “I didn’t really prepare for the interview per se, because I really wanted my words to come from my heart.” In the video, Victor spoke about the connections he has been able to make over the course of his career. “The incredible people you meet on this journey is humbling.”

Raymond Ruiz, director of life enrichment at Kingsley Manor, appeared in the video alongside resident Karen Palmer. “Karen has always been someone I go to,” he says. “It was a very humbling experience, making a connection and talking to somebody who you see on a day-to-day basis, especially during difficult times. It made me think about the tough year that we had and why we do what we do.”

Katie Wade, senior director of creative engagement, also found herself looking back on her career path. “It was really nice to reflect on the origins of my work, and lovely to think about an older adult in one of our programs who has influenced me.”

One thing that Katie didn’t expect was how hot the room would be where filming took place. “We had to turn off the air conditioning in the interview room to make sure the sound levels weren’t affected.” The video shoot took place over two days, one day at the Home Office in Glendale, and the second at St. Paul’s Towers in Oakland. Video crews also went on site at Villa Gardens in Pasadena and Oak Center Towers in Oakland for “B roll” shots of people in action.

The original objective of the video project was to bring Front Porch’s new mission, vision, and values to life. Formally adopted by the Front Porch board of directors on April 1, 2021 as Front Porch and Covia affiliated, the new, shared values of the combined organization illustrates what brought them together to begin with – values that were already being lived out by employees and residents.

“I am so excited and delighted to get these values out and about – not that we haven’t all been living them already,” says Lauren Mouton-Beaudry, director of ethics and education. “These values are action-packed and they really speak to me. I truly believe that our shared values bring us together. I want to thank everyone who participated in the video. You were using your heart, and that’s what came through.”

The authenticity of voices comes through for Katie as well, and she sees it as part of the authenticity of the work she and others do every day. “It feels very true for me in my daily working environment that people really bring their whole selves to work. We don’t have to compartmentalize our personal self and our work self. I think that is so critical for the relational type of work that we’re all doing.”

“I think it takes special team members to do what we do on a daily basis,” adds Victor.

To Lauren, the video is only the beginning. “It’s interesting: at the end, we say, ‘that’s a wrap.’ But actually, I am feeling like now is when our work and play is really going to begin. We’re going to be sharing our values. We’re going to be strengthening our relationships. And that’s what’s going to make us an even stronger organization.”

Click the image below to watch the video. Also available with captions in Spanish, Chinese, and Tagalog. 

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