|
Friends Center City Retirement Community
Who we are, and how we are different We are part of a growing movement of persons committed to urban life who find cities like Philadelphia, with their rich variety of people, services, and cultural opportunities to be exciting and hospitable places, especially for older adults. We also are planners, who look ahead. We want to be independent, but also be part of a vibrant, supportive living community. And we want to provide for foreseeable contingencies, rather than burden friends or loved ones. We are associated with the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). However, our current Board of Directors and membership are religiously diverse. We welcome persons of all races, creeds, and gender orientations. Friends Center City Retirement Community is under the care of Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting. Our hope is to open our doors in Center City by the year 2010. Right now, we are hard at work planning. If what you read here appeals to you, we invite you to join us! How are we different from other retirement communities? Most retirement communities are located in rural or suburban settings, but we will be downtown. Like our less urban counterparts, we will have independent living apartments, common dining, meeting rooms, a library, exercise rooms, and other shared facilities, but we also shall be able to take advantage of the wide variety of shops, restaurants, and cultural events around us without having to rely on group outings or community bus schedules. An essential component of our vision includes lifetime health care, and we are studying new service and cost-saving opportunities in this rapidly changing field. Although we are not clear as yet on the specific model we will follow, we are exploring options with Friends Life Care At Home and entering discussions with a Center City teaching hospital. Another difference--most other retirement communities are founded, owned and operated by persons and entities other than their residents. We are creating our own facility. Today, elderly persons enjoy increasingly longer life spans and years of productivity. We intend for our residents to play leadership roles and have principal say in the operation of our common facilities and our day to day life together. We see our community as a visionary one, exploring the many exciting possibilities of growing old together in the twenty-first century. And, we are committed to community in a financial sense as well. We are examining ways each resident can own a part of our common residential property, and pass that portion on easily to her or his heirs. How are we different from other Center City Philadelphia retirement communities? Most important in this regard, we are a not-for-profit entity. Through our association with the Religious Society of Friends, we are part of proven tradition of practical community building and human caring. Our ownership and management will transcend marketplace changes and other uncertainties. We are a community in charge of its own future. Learn more about us: See our website at www.centercityretirement.com. If you wish to be on our regular mailing list (become a “member”), fill out the information form on the web page, and submit it electronically. You commit to nothing by doing this, and will be kept informed about future developments and upcoming events. |
