During this past year, Christian Living Communities team members have gone above and beyond, often as they feared for their own well-being.

Chronic stress was a problem before the pandemic. COVID-19 has compounded the issue, and then some, especially among healthcare workers.

Thanks to the generosity of donors, select members of our nursing teams from our owned communities will have the opportunity to enjoy Respite Retreats with their families in rustic cabins at the Historic Pines Ranch near Westcliffe this summer.

According to a recent survey by Berxi, a division of Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and a provider of professional liability insurance for medical professionals, a startling 84% of healthcare workers reported feeling at least mildly burned out from work, and 18% feel totally burned out.

Kyle Schlafer of the Historic Pines Ranch Preservation Association has made his ranch available for these 3-day/3-night Respite Retreats with a goal to share rest with attendees. Schlafer is paying it forward after his family benefited from a similar experience a few years ago.

Last year, Pines Ranch and CLC ran a pilot program with three such retreats for nursing team members from the Suites at Someren Glen, and the feedback was encouraging.

Shared one attendee: “This trip adds a pleasant cap to an unfathomably hard year. There was no money to take a vacation so this opportunity was a true God-send.”

This year CLC has partnered with Pines Ranch to offer six such retreats, provided there is funding. Anywhere from three to seven team members and their families can be accommodated per retreat, and all food, lodging and activities, such as yoga, nature hikes and some limited childcare, are covered.

Shared another attendee, Andre, pictured above, a CNA at the Suites: “Our family was so lucky to be able to go to Pines Ranch. My girls got to interact with the animals on the ranch, and we had such a blessed time with the wonderful family who runs Pines Ranch. It was so peaceful.”

If you are interested in learning more about the CLC Respite Retreats or how you can support them, please contact please contact Stephanie Manley, Director of Philanthropy, at 720-974-3675 or smanley@clcliving.org, or Make a Gift Online Today!