“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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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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Like life plan communities (also known as continuing care retirement communities or CCRCs), active senior living communities typically have age restrictions and provide both interior and exterior home maintenance services. Unlike many life plan communities, there is no “buy-in” fee and residents only pay a monthly rental fee for their home or duplex.

Many active senior living communities offer resident-led programs and connections with local community centers while some communities offer onsite amenities. The opportunity for resident-led programming that residents and the community create together is one aspect that makes active senior living special. Residents live in duplexes or houses, depending on the community, but without the added maintenance worries that living in a home typically entails.

Front Porch has three active senior living communities: Cecil Pines in Jacksonville, Florida; England Oaks in Alexandria, Louisiana; and El Sombroso Oaks in Los Gatos, California.

Cecil Pines

Located on 53 acres that once comprised a military base in Jacksonville, Florida, Cecil Pines boasts miles of walking paths among mature pines and an easy-going lifestyle. With convenient access to a local golf course as well as an aquatics center, fitness center, and equestrian center, this unique community offers numerous ways for residents to stay active.

“Our focus is on how we can support residents so they don’t have to worry about the mundane stuff,” explained General Manager Christina Purdy. “We want them to be able to pursue their passions and all of the activities they’ve wanted to do but haven’t had the time for previously.” Management takes care of home maintenance, garbage pick-up, and yard work.

One of the benefits of life at Cecil Pines is the community. “Everyone knows everyone else’s name and when you drive down the road, everyone waves at you,” noted Christina. “For many residents, they go back to the sense of community that they had when they were growing up.”

Because residents’ passions are a focal point at Cecil Pines, the staff makes an effort to customize programming to suit residents’ interests and to support resident-led activities.

Programs include an exercise group, game nights, a monthly potluck, Koffee Klatch, Wii bowling tournaments, and more, depending on resident interest. Additionally, many residents take advantage of community-supported volunteer opportunities. The monthly “Road Walk” group picks up litter along the road to the local commerce center and “Gifted Hands” meets every Wednesday to create handcrafted clothing, pillows, and blankets to donate to the local hospital. The community also hosts an annual baby shower, where they pack two SUVs full of donations so that new moms at the hospital have something to take home with them.

Christina said that the community “is always giving back.” Every Thanksgiving, residents collect donations for the Salvation Army and once a year host an antique car show fundraiser with all proceeds going to the American Cancer Society.

“We have very active people at our community with residents in their late 50s all the way up to those in their 90s,” Christina said. The community offers plenty of space to walk or bike and numerous ways to stay active. If you are interested in learning more about Cecil Pines, please visit their website or contact (904) 771-8839.

England Oaks

England Oaks, located in Alexandria Louisiana, lives up to its name with plenty of oak (and pecan) trees throughout the community. Like Cecil Pines, England Oaks is located on a closed military base, remodeled into a senior housing and community center, and located near a local golf course.

Located on 63 acres, England Oaks has the leisurely feel of a small town with different streets containing 182 homes. Residents live independently but without the hassles of maintenance, garbage pickup, and pest control.

“It’s really hard going from living at home and being able to take care of everything to waking up one day and realizing that taking care of your home isn’t as fun as it used to be,” said England Oaks Sales Manager Nadja Stokes. “People begin to ask themselves, ‘What do I do from here?'” Active senior living communities like England Oaks provide a great solution. “People who embrace the choice of moving to an active senior living community are happier,” said Nadja. “They are less stressed and they find things to replace the work that are more fun.”

On top of the benefits of low-maintenance living, England Oaks also provides connection. “There is such a community feel,” Nadja said. “Residents at the community want to be part of something and England Oaks provides the opportunity to be social and active.”

Residents have access to an activity center that features a heated indoor pool as well as resident-led programs and groups, including a bridge group, poker group, and coffee chat. Additionally, many residents get together and play cards at home with each other and travel to local festivals together. “In Louisiana, there is a festival every weekend,” noted Nadja. The administrative team works with residents to coordinate buses so that they can attend the festivals together.

Residents also support each other through “Helping Hands” a group which provides transportation when the community’s van is unavailable. Residents drive other residents to medical appointments and to pick up groceries. “It’s also a great way to get to know their neighbors,” said Nadja, “and it helps to build the community feel.”

Nadja likens living at England Oaks to living in the fictional city of Mayfield from Leave It to Beaver. “It’s very quiet, secure, and everyone knows each other.” If you are interested in learning more about England Oaks, please visit their website or contact (318) 445-0520.

El Sombroso Oaks

Located a mile outside of downtown Los Gatos, El Sombroso Oaks (ESO) is a low-maintenance community in Northern California. Surrounded by walking paths that loop through oak trees, residents have easy access to the beauty and charm of Los Gatos.

The community was originally built in the 1970s with the intention of being an independent living residence for Presbyterian ministers. The community joined Covia, a Front Porch partner, in 2016 and the community now welcomes all, regardless of whether or not they have served as part of the Presbyterian clergy. “I have always felt welcome and now it is exciting to have people of a number of faiths and backgrounds as residents,” said resident Jack Longley, who has lived at ESO since 2009.

Jack arranges resident outings for the community, including going out to dinner, visits to the Hakone Gardens, the Apple Park (Apple’s headquarters), and other local attractions. “We always have a wonderful Christmas luncheon and we occasionally celebrate birthdays or anniversaries or get together in small groups for wine and discussion,” Jack said. During the pandemic, Jack started a weekly Zoom call for residents that transitioned to meeting outdoors when weather permits. “I put together some ice-breaker questions and we would take off and have a marvelous time,” he said.

“I love living here,” he noted. “We love to laugh together and we love to party when someone has a birthday.” Alex Gerasimov, property manager for ESO said, “I’m amazed how close knit and friendly everyone is at El Sombroso Oaks. Even though this community is fully independent, the residents regularly get together and go out for various events to stay active and engaged.”

The cottages at ESO have roomy kitchens, detached garages, decks, and plenty of natural light. With home maintenance as well as landscaping taken care of as part of the rental fee, residents can focus on getting out into nature or exploring the town. “El Sombroso Oaks serves as a pathway to Los Gatos,” Alex said. “The neighborhood connects a local elementary school to nearby households so you see a lot of kids, parents, and just friendly faces passing by and saying ‘Howdy!’ to our residents.” If you are interested in learning more about El Sombroso Oaks, please visit their website or contact AGerasimov@FrontPorch.net.  

Active senior living communities are just one of the senior living options available at Front Porch. Check out our website to learn more about all that Front Porch has to offer and which of our options would be the best fit for your lifestyle.

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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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Residents are encouraged to walk the halls and enjoy the variety of art on display. There is even a full guide to all of the artwork found throughout the community so that residents and guests can learn more about the different pieces.

“Art has been important to the community from day one of its opening,” say San Francisco Towers residents Judy Donahue and Holly Robinson. “Our halls and public spaces are filled with beautiful art.”

The 2^nd floor holds a special place for art at the Towers as it is home to the Art Show, which features art created by residents and staff. Donahue and Robinson, who curate the Art Show, note that it provides “a vehicle for residents and staff to exhibit the art they have created.”

Walking down the 2^nd floor hallway, residents and visitors pass walls lined with framed photographs, paintings in various mediums, and full canvases.  A bust is tucked into a corner atop a plinth, and intricately embroidered pillows, which are part of the show, settle on a Recamier sofa.

Residents are not only encouraged to enjoy the show but to submit their pieces for inclusion. All mediums are welcome at the art show, including ceramics, needlepoint, photography, paintings, jewelry, and sculptures.

The current show features about 50 participants with up to two pieces per participant to ensure that all interested residents and staff can see their art on display.

The art show is its own celebration at the Towers. Art pieces are shown for six months before a new set of art is exhibited and each new show is celebrated with a biannual cocktail party that celebrates both the art and the artists.

“We find it extremely rewarding to see the level of enthusiasm that residents have about their art and for fellow residents to enjoy viewing the many diverse pieces in the show,” say Donahue and Robinson. “We particularly enjoyed exhibiting a Trash to Treasures show during our COVID-19 lockdown where we displayed whimsical pieces made from recyclable materials that brought smiles to viewers and boosted morale.”

Putting on the art show does come with its challenges, including determining how best to showcase unique pieces. As part of Robinson and Donahue’s role as organizers of the art show, they place the pieces on the wall themselves and create solutions for larger pieces. For the show currently on display, Robinson and Donahue had to find a heavy rod to support a beautiful needlepoint rug so that it could be properly hung.

The result is a hall full of unique pieces that represent the individual personalities of residents and staff at the Towers. “Walking along the corridor of art, you cannot help but appreciate the shared environment of collective expression,” says Christina Spence, Executive Director of San Francisco Towers. “It’s truly a celebration of one of the many reasons San Francisco Towers is such a special community.”

If you are interested in touring the Towers to see some of the beautiful artwork and learn more about the community, we would love to hear from you through the form below.

The post Residents’ Talent on Display at San Francisco Towers Art Show appeared first on Front Porch.

Over the past year, Ruth’s Table and its sister program Creative Spark, a Front Porch Community Services program, have partnered with over 25 organizations to inspire creativity through the Image of Self project. The Image of Self exhibition features a selection of the resulting works, “highlighting the diversity of our elder communities. Whether abstract, symbolic, or intimately detailed, each artwork in the exhibition reveals the artist’s identity, individuality, and story, and aims to celebrate our authentic self as the hero in our own story,” the exhibition website explains.

“What is special about this project, and art in general, is that it has the power to bring together people and communities who would not get connected otherwise,” says Margarita Mukhsinova, associate director of Ruth’s Table. “Individuals who are not a part of the same immediate community or have diverse backgrounds or speak different languages, but we all come together as a group through a shared creative experience.”

Along with the Image of Self exhibit, other creative projects sponsored by Ruth’s Table and Creative Spark through the year have been implemented in a variety of different settings, including art kits delivery, online and phone-based workshops, onsite classes at Ruth’s Table, parallel programming implemented in partner communities, as well as teacher and staff training through Creative Spark. All projects draw on the theme of Creative Spark curriculum, which allows for a thematic commonality, while at the same time championing different forms of expressions across partners, from collage, to painting, to drawing, to free writing and poetry.

“Ruth’s Table and Creative Spark curriculum places access at the heart of its agenda,” says Margarita. “We work with teaching artists to make sure our curriculum includes multiple adaptations for the diverse needs of our communities, including dementia-friendly adaptations, suggestions on how these creative assignments can be infused in care relationships and done in groups, and more.”

The training “gave me new ideas of how to connect to the many personalities of our residents,” says Aliya, an Activities Coordinator. “I had a 100 year old who said she didn’t think highly of herself, but then we started talking about ‘words’ – she was a librarian – and her faith, and Aha! There she is!”

“Creative projects have helped me to feel that I belonged to something, making me feel secure,” says participant Margie Ramirez.

To learn more about upcoming programs, exhibitions, or resources from Ruth’s Table or Creative Spark, please visit their websites:

https://www.ruthstable.org/

https://covia.org/programs/creative-spark/

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In Santa Rosa, at Friends House, most activities are resident led, which means if there’s something you’d like to explore or share, you can make it happen here. The library group raises money to donate for educational charities by selling books online and at events.  You’ll often encounter interesting lectures in the lobby about a variety of topics—a recent one focused on land use and the impact of freeway access on communities. You can take part in a Buddhist sangha (community meeting) on Mondays or join a variety of indoor, outdoor, and even chair-based exercise offerings almost any day of the week. Whatever your interests or your goals, this is a great place to indulge them.

The fitness offerings at Spring Lake Village, also in Santa Rosa, are nationally recognized for their resident-driven programming. From chair volleyball and Pilates to pickleball, aquatics, and yoga, the exercise calendar is always full of options. Plus, you have built-in accountability with plenty of friends and neighbors participating. Whether you want to take up art, drumming, gardening, meditation, or another activity, you can try out new things or dig deeper into existing hobbies with ease. Add to that all of the classes, concerts, and hosted conversations and it seems like making progress on your goals for positive aging is almost automatic here.

Involvement in the arts plays a big role at San Francisco Towers, from writing books to volunteering with the Ballet and Symphony or serving as docents at local museums. There are also museum-like displays of art throughout the building, all thematically curated by the resident art committee. Each wing and floor feature a unique period or style, and many of the pieces showcased, including paintings, sculpture, china, and other mediums, come from our residents’ own collections. The committee has even put together a guided tour they’d love to share with you.

At St. Paul’s Towers in Oakland, our goals for positive aging span physical, intellectual, social, and spiritual engagement. From ping pong and chair volleyball to dance classes and hiking in nearby regional parks, there are regular opportunities to get some exercise and try new activities. Our frequent museum visits, theater outings, book clubs, memoir writing groups, and art and clay classes in the ceramics studio offer fun intellectual stimulation. We also have discussion groups and plenty of other activities to encourage social engagement. And on the spiritual side, our chaplain’s Let’s Chat discussions on every topic under the sun are always lively and inspiring.

In Palo Alto, Webster House’s ongoing monthly Tai Chi/Qigong workshop series with Master Lee Holden has many of our residents exploring a new practice for healthy aging. From our Museums at Home tours to our upcoming TED Talks on the stellar history of modern astronomy and the secrets of resilient people, there are lots of opportunities to think, grow, and regularly set new goals. And residents will uncover lifestyle habits like meditation and inner smile practice to enhance their quality of life with our upcoming series of workshops starting this month.

At Canterbury Woods in Pacific Grove, the competitive spirit is strong. Chair volleyball has become a resident favorite. It’s a chance to have a bit of friendly competition while letting go, laughing, and having fun with neighbors and friends. In our recent Halloween Pumpkin Carving Contest, the creations were incredible and every resident got to vote on the funniest, scariest, and most unique pumpkins.

Finding ways to keep challenging yourself and evolving is an inspiring way to deepen your life experiences. With all the activities, committees, and involved people at our communities, it’s easy to explore your interests, learn new things, support others, and build stronger connections. But it’s not always about activities. Sometimes fulfilling your goals can be as simple as spending more time connecting with new friends and celebrating old traditions. What goals do you have for your future?

The post Setting Positive Aging Goals appeared first on Front Porch.

“As we move through this new year of hope and into 2022, I am delighted at the opportunity the new Front Porch Communities Foundation has to do good work,” said John Woodward, CEO of Front Porch Communities and Services. “The generosity of our donors’ giving — and their commitment to engagement — exemplify the values each of our communities live every day.”

All past gifts made under the previous foundations will be honored and used for the community and purpose that donors designated. Donors will continue to be able to direct their gifts through FPCF to the community or program they wish to support.

Caring and generosity have historically been strong values of the nonprofits that over the years have come together in the Front Porch system.

Front Porch itself was initially formed by four separate nonprofit retirement community organizations, each connected to a charitable foundation. Three of those foundations — Pacific Homes Foundation, FACT Foundation, and Sunny View Foundation — merged in April to create the new Front Porch Communities Foundation to support and serve all the original Front Porch retirement communities.

The Covia Foundation has served the six Covia communities and widespread community services programs since 2002 and became a partner to Bethany Center Foundation when the Bethany Center community joined Covia. When Friends House joined Covia in 2021, the Covia Foundation assumed administration of the Friends House charitable funds.

The joining together of all the foundations and charitable funds in the new Front Porch Communities Foundation provides an opportunity to extend the culture of philanthropy and help supporters achieve greater impact with their charitable gifts.

Katharine Miller, who has served for many years as executive director of the Covia Foundation, is the executive director of the new Front Porch Communities Foundation. She and the Covia Foundation team will work closely with the Front Porch Foundation team to serve supporters and continue to build on the culture of generosity and caring that is an integral part of our communities and programs.

“Those who care about others are at the heart of each of our community’s strong spirit of giving,” said Katharine. “It’s an honor to be working with people who are striving to achieve greater good for those they care about.”

The Front Porch Communities Foundation will be guided by the FPCF Board of Directors, drawn from supporters and board members from across the Front Porch and Covia systems. The work of the Board and the Foundation will be supported by local community philanthropic committees, executive directors at the community level, and residents, friends and staff members who bring to life the Front Porch values.

*This story was originally shared in the Community Matters newsletter

The post Joining Together for Greater Good appeared first on Front Porch.

“Things happen — and we may have greater needs than any of us anticipated,” said Hilda Pressman, a Circle of Friends committee member. “It’s a great comfort to know the Circle of Friends is there.”

The resident assistance funds provided through the Front Porch Communities Foundation provide peace of mind to neighbors and friends in need. As one resident said, “Any of us could outlive our resources, so I want to be a part of being there for one another.” In Northern California, the assistance program for life plan residents is called the Circle of Friends fund and the average age of recipients is 92, with many living at a higher level of care.

“Throughout our communities, the spirit of caring for one another is apparent in the many gifts we receive for the assistance funds,” said Foundation Executive Director Katharine Miller. “It is a reflection of the close friendships people form in our communities and the care that residents have for one another.”

*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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