This month marked a meaningful milestone – the 53rd anniversary of Christian Living Communities. On the morning of Friday, May 9th, 165 members of the CLC community came together at the Denver Marriot South at Park Meadows for the 2025 Founder’s Day Breakfast featuring the Earthen Vessel Award. It was a joyful celebration of our founding and time for connection with old and new friends alike.
The theme for this year’s event was Focus and Intention. Event attendees included members from CLC’s founding families, residents from Clermont Park, Holly Creek, and Someren Glen, current and past Board Members, dedicated CLC volunteers and supporters, team members, mission partners, and other friends.
Everyone enjoyed a hearty and delicious breakfast thanks to our mission partners Duet Hospitality Group, who generously underwrote the full costs of the event. Their kindness means that the $8,000 given by generous CLC supporters in honor of Founder’s Day will be used to enrich life for the older adults who call a CLC community home and the caring team members who support them.
Robert Smith, CLC’s Executive Director of Chaplain Services, retold the story of CLC’s founding in 1972, when our Founders dreamed of creating a new home for a group of older adults who were being displaced by the closing of the Bethesda Sanitarium. This small group of volunteers from the Christian Reformed and Reformed Churches of America faced serious obstacles – they had few resources and difficulties with fundraising.
Chaplain Robert recounted that at one pivotal Board Meeting, there came a crucial vote of whether to move forward or fold up and put the dream away. “The volunteer Board of Directors was tied, with one last member, Rod Ham, set to vote,” he told attendees. “With deep thought and prayer, Rod voted to continue the dream.”
It was a meaningful reminder of how CLC carries forward our vision, mission, and values with the same focus and intention today – to provide services and care that reflect Christian love, respect, and compassion toward each individual.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of the 31st Earthen Vessel Award to Alison Mueller, the volunteer director of the Clermont Park Theatre Group’s annual musical. Jill Vitale-Aussem, CLC’s President & CEO, shared how in 2013 Alison teamed up with a Clermont Park resident, Dr. Annabelle Clark, to put on Clermont Park’s first full-scale musical production – Fiddler on the Roof. “If someone had the desire to be part of the show, Alison made sure they had a place,” Jill shared. “Mobility challenges, cognitive differences, or lack of experience were never obstacles – everyone was uplifted, celebrated, and given the chance to shine.”
This fall will mark Alison’s 10th production at Clermont Park – an enormous dedication of time and energy – all as a volunteer. Jill shared with attendees that Alison’s conservative estimate is that each show takes her 130 hours to stage. “We’ve tried to pay her,” Jill noted, “But Alison doesn’t do this for the money. Giving freely of her time is where the joy lives – in doing it for the sheer love of the craft and the community.”
Alison accepted the Earthen Vessel Award from Eric Keesen, vice-chair of the CLC Board of Directors and a member of one of CLC’s founding families. In her remarks to attendees, Alison thanked her incredible family and friends for supporting her volunteer work over many years. She shared some of the asks that she has made of them over the years, such as borrowing a dining room chair for twelve weeks, help making costumes that look like they were made from curtains, and last-minute performances with only a few rehearsals. She also thanked the Clermont Park Theatre performers for their trust and support.
To mark the occasion, residents from the Clermont Park Theatre group performed a joyful medley of songs from their past shows, directed by Alison. After their performance, Jill asked them about their experiences with the Clermont Park Theatre group. Residents talked about the joy and meaning they receive from participating in the group, and how much they rely on Alison’s kindness and encouragement.
John Ahlenius, a long-time performer in the Clermont Park musicals, shared that as much as he likes the performance, for him the biggest benefit is the community and camaraderie built through the rehearsals. Through research, CLC has found that residents who participated in the weeks of rehearsals for the show experienced improvements in memory and cognition, overall well-being, and even health outcomes like being less at risk for falls.
The Clermont Park Theatre group announced that this year’s musical will be Mary Poppins, with performances scheduled for October 10th, 11th, and 12th at Clermont Park.
Two wonderful groups of supporters were recognized during the event for their special contributions to CLC’s journey. Attendees applauded the Compassion Circle, a special group of CLC supporters who have included CLC in their estate plans. By leaving a legacy gift for CLC, these incredible individuals leave a lasting impact of love and generosity to uplift older adults for generations to come.
Faithful Friends members were also recognized during the event. These caring individuals show up faithfully for older adults and the team members who support them, giving gifts either every month or on a quarterly or annual basis over at least the last five years. We are deeply moved to have more than 225 generous and impactful Faithful Friends.
Jill thanked these generous supporters and reflected again on CLC’s founding by a group of dedicated volunteers: “It was a community of generous donors – giving what they could – who provided the initial spark,” she said. “Today, we are caretakers of that vision.” She invited CLC supporters to join in as gardeners of the mission – to nurture a legacy of compassion, dignity, and vibrant aging.
If you would like to help nurture CLC’s legacy for the next 53 years, please consider making a gift today to the General Mission Fund. Your support for the General Mission Fund helps meet the greatest organizational needs as they arise, fills in gaps when resources fall short, and allows us to say “Yes” when unexpected opportunities and new beginnings appear.