Getting to make life a little better for those in our lives is an opportunity we have every day. Choosing to make life better for people who we will never have the chance to meet is what it means to leave a legacy.
Christian Living Communities meant a lot to Gil and Jeanette Deters, and they planned that their love and caring would continue far beyond their lifetimes. Though it has been many years since they passed away, the legacy that the Deters left at CLC is truly special. This is the 16th year that their generous estate gift has enriched community life for residents at the Suites at Someren Glen and the Suites at Clermont Park.
This month the Deters provided residents at the Suites at Someren Glen with an exciting opportunity for wellness, connection, and joy. The community was able to buy an Eldergrow garden, a therapeutic indoor garden specifically designed for people living in skilled nursing and memory care communities. Residents and team members alike were excited to welcome this new addition to the Suites.
With expert assistance from an Eldergrow Educator, residents planted their new garden with a variety of plants meant to delight the senses. It was certainly delightful to Shirl, a resident who attended the inaugural class and planting. “I love these plants!” she said. “They speak to me.” Everyone was able to touch, smell, and see all the plants for themselves. The plants brought to Shirl’s mind a fond memory of her grandmother, who grew roses.
Eldergrow Educators will teach classes at the community every two weeks. They will help residents enjoy the multi-sensory aspects of the plants, teach garden care, and help residents do garden maintenance. Residents are already looking forward to their next class! Someren Glen Executive Director Steve DeBelle was on hand with other Suites at Someren Glen team members to help welcome the garden. He says it is already making a big impact: “The residents love it. They are very engaged in caring for the garden. It was a wonderful addition to our community.”
The Deters Fund also created an opportunity for Clermont Park to invest over $16,000 this year to increase safety for residents and care providers. The Suites replaced Hoyer Lifts to assist care providers in transferring residents with limited mobility. The lift helps to prevent injuries by reducing physical strain for care providers. This is a wonderful example of how valued donors revolutionize aging services through evidence-based practices.
Additional enhancements at Clermont Park Suites include an iN2L (It’s Never 2 Late) subscription. iN2L is a technology system that supports person-centered care through content-driven engagement. iN2L utilizes technology to improve quality of life with programming that encourages social interaction, memory support, exercise, and more. Gemma James, Associate Executive Director shares that the investment “supports rebuilding a culture of resident driven care where choices are honored and valued.”
In total, the Suites at Someren Glen and Clermont Park each received over $22,000 from the Deter’s Fund in 2023. We are so grateful to Gil and Jeanette for planning to continue their love and care for others beyond their lifetimes. Their planned gift, carefully invested, created $44,000 of impact this year and will continue to support older adults in at CLC for years to come.
If you are interested in learning more about creating a legacy at CLC through a planned gift, please contact Stephanie Manley at 720.974.3675 or smanley@clcliving.org. If you have already designated a gift to CLC in your legacy planning, please reach out to Stephanie so we can welcome you as a member of our Compassion Circle.
What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.”
-Pericles
About the Author
Stormie Foust Maley, Annual Giving Manager, is a born Midwesterner and Certified Eden Alternative Educator who believes passionately that individuals can make a difference in the lives of others. She worked for nine and a half years at Dayspring Villa Assisted Living, a neighborhood of Christian Living Communities, prior to her role as Annual Giving Manager. There she learned firsthand the joy of building a purposeful and resilient community through a person-directed care mindset.
