While I have occasionally alluded to the community where I live, I have never taken an entire column to spell out just why Pilgrim Place is right for Wendy and me.
We decided that Pilgrim Place was to be our final address and arrived here fifteen years ago, following seminary teaching assignments in Australia. This CCRC (Continuing Care Retirement Community) is known for being a unique place for retired religious workers who want to continue to expand their horizons. We refer to it as an intentional community, and by that we mean there are values we intend to live out as we continue to make a difference locally and in the wider world.
We maintain the traditional three-level system of care—independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing—the last facility also being available to non-residents. We will shortly be opening a secure memory house for our residents and perhaps others.
Applicants may seek admission after their 62nd birthday, and those who are admitted must be in residence before their 78th birthday—that age restriction rose recently from 75. Even this older age is lower than most other CCRCs, and by it we seek to recruit somewhat younger residents who intend to fully participate in our work and vision.
Substantial to our intention is a commitment to stay actively involved not only with each other, but also with the Claremont area, and with the wider world. This we have done throughout the hundred and one years of our existence.
Our intention is to care deeply for one another. Instead of hiring activity directors or a resident chaplain or someone to take us to medical appointments, airports, outings or even shopping, we take each other. Most of us have a resident health advocate, and also serve as an advocate for someone else. In our daily lives we evidence a profound interpersonal commitment, and at our memorial or funeral services significant numbers of us are present. We call ourselves “the beloved community.” Supported by a superb administrative staff and Board, we are largely self- governed. We generate our own programs, lectures and a myriad of other vital activities.
Pilgrim Place was originally founded as a home for retired Congregational missionaries. In recent years we have dramatically expanded our initial vision to welcome from other Christian bodies, ministers, missionaries, theologians, seminary faculty and administrators, as well as those of other world religions, and those who have worked in a variety of charitable vocations as servants of the common good. We continue to widen our inclusion of additional persons from racial and ethnic minority groups.
We count among our members a significant number of gay and lesbian persons—married, partnered, or single. While there is no political test, we are mainly a liberal collection of activists. Our recently revised investment policy reflects our commitment to “peace, economic justice and environment sustainability.” The social and political implications of that credo should be obvious.
From the beginning, and substantial to our intention, has been a commitment to welcome those who either do not quite meet our financial goals for admission, or who run short of funds during their years here. Many of us arrived in Pilgrim Place with less than adequate financial resources, so having secured our acceptance, we are sensitive to those in similar circumstances who seek inclusion. We have always found ways to open our arms to a few with modest means, including those who have worked on the mission field or in smaller churches or agencies.
No one has ever had to leave Pilgrim Place for financial reasons. We have recently expected all who apply to submit records of their resources together with recent tax returns, current income statements and other investment records including real estate holdings, and to certify that they have not and will not disburse any of their resources to family or others in order to apply for financial help.
We have a sizable invested fund whose income is used to care for those who qualify for support, and we seek to raise another two hundred thousand dollars for this purpose annually. Over 10% of our residents are offered monthly support when they have exhausted their own funds. Only our CEO knows who they are.
While historically we have needed to keep one eye on the financial stability of the community, we have kept the other eye on those with diminished resources. This balance has become more difficult with the rising cost of operations, but we stubbornly reject the notion that we are only a haven for the already modestly affluent. We are presently working on a fresh way to maintain a balance between the financial health of the community, and our ability to welcome a limited number who may eventually run out of money.
We intend to demonstrate “simple living,” but find that goal difficult even to define in this technocratic age. Many seniors seem to demand more and better amenities, and we struggle to understand how we can live together more modestly.
We celebrate life to its fullest, and die in the arms of God and of those beloved partners with whom we have shared life in this l intentional community.
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