revelcreek.com

October 2019

(269) 743-4456

Enjoy. Adore. Relish. Savor. Revel.

THE REVEL CREEK READER

MONTHLY NEWS

Greetings Priority Club Members,

Each autumn brings with it the gifts and excitement of the harvest season, a special time—when the fruits of our labor ripen—when all our careful planting and hard work come back to us in the form of something delicious and sustaining. We have entered harvest season here at Heritage Community of Kalamazoo. After years of holding the vision, working with our expert team of architects and designers, and planting the seeds of this next phase, we are beginning to see the results of our hard work and dedication come to fruition.

It was a pleasure seeing many of you at the August 20 Wine-tasting Mixer at St. Julian Winery! We look forward to many opportunities to make new friends as we continue together on this journey toward Revel Creek. See the Save the Date section for details about the upcoming Holiday Party.

We hope you enjoy October’s issue of The Revel Creek Reader, which we like to think of as the Lifestyle Edition. In this issue, we’ll explore the legacy that sets Heritage Community apart, as well as the services and amenities that will bring you leading-edge retirement living at Revel Creek. In the Community Progress section, we’ll look at key dates along the development timeline and hear from President & CEO Jay Prince about his vision for an enhanced lifestyle experience at Revel Creek. And in the Spotlight, you’ll gain an inside view into how Heritage Community residents Richard and Lynne Miller feel about their lifestyle at Wyndham, the campus’s existing independent living residences.

Priority Club Member reservations are stacking up nicely with 110 reservations to date. See October and November marketing luncheon dates in the Spread the Word section, and find out how to win a $50 gift card by making your friends your future neighbors.

Yours Truly,Matt Shankle,

Director of Sales & Marketing

~ Albert Camus

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”

REVEL CREEK MINGLE

We were delighted to see so many of your faces at the Wine-tasting Mixer on August 20 at the St. Julian Winery! We had a great turnout with 50 people in attendance, as Priority Club Members enjoyed mingling, became acquainted with potential neighbors, and toasted to the future. We appreciated hearing from a number of you about how much you loved the event and how you feel excited about continuing this journey with Revel Creek. Thanks for helping make this event a success!

COMMUNITY PROGRESS

• December 2019 Priority Member Holiday Party• January 2020 Priority Members attend full unveiling of Revel Creek details:

(Renderings, Pricing, Contract Options, and 3D-Tour of community). Events will be available in Kalamazoo and Florida.

• February 2020 Begin reservations for specific units by order of priority number. (10% refundable deposit to reserve)

• Fall 2020 Close of financing and construction begins on Revel Creek.• Early 2021 Personalization process begins which allows depositors to

select finishes, upgrades, and customizations to their home.• 2021-Opening Lots of fun festivities and get togethers to meet your future

neighbors as well as educational seminars on rightsizing, real estate planning, and support for making the move.

• Spring 2022 GRAND OPENING of Revel Creek

What’s New at Revel Creek?

A FORWARD-FACING LIFESTYLEOpening 2022—Addressing the Needs

and Wants of a New Generation

The Revel Creek Reader will bring you regular updates as the expansion unfolds.

Heritage Community President & CEO Jay Prince Talks Lifestyle

“It’s really about lifestyle,” says Jay Prince, president and CEO of Heritage Community of Kalamazoo. “Heritage Community is a place for those who are looking to enjoy life. Independent living here provides an opportunity to relieve yourself from day-to-day maintenance, housekeeping, and cooking, and to focus on resort-style living, creating friendships, and allowing our staff to wow you with great hospitality. Residents often say, ‘Wow! I wish I had moved in here five years ago. I didn’t know it would be this great.’”

Prince reflects on the enduring culture built over the course of the Life Plan Community’s 75 years in operation, and how residents can be assured that those defining characteristics will prevail, permeating every aspect of lifestyle going forward.

Firstly, he looks at the mission of Heritage Community. As a nonprofit organization, the community reinvests earnings back into the community to enhance residents’ lives and to assure residents a home—even in cases when, through unexpected circumstances, they may be unable to continue covering their own living costs. This mission, which sets Heritage Community apart from for-profit communities in the area, will continue to inform the culture on campus.

Also, Heritage Community is independently and locally operated, with its roots in local leadership dating back to 1945. Independent operators are few and far between in the current market. “Even today,” says Prince, “we are focused on making Kalamazoo a better place to retire.”

And not least among the longstanding community’s unique selling points are the tailored, personalized services delivered in an intimate setting. “People get the best quality and lifestyle when they are provided with personal attention,” Prince says. “We intentionally design our buildings to be smaller than the average community. For example, Wyndham has only 86 apartments so that we can really get to know residents and their families and tailor our services to each individual.”

As the two independent living residences, Wyndham and Revel Creek will have a strong relationship, and all residents will be encouraged to relish every aspect of their shared amenities—whether its enjoying a cocktail in the beautifully landscaped bistro with its full bar, savoring a thoughtful meal in the shared fine dining restaurant, delighting in a show in the auditorium or in one of the event spaces, or relaxing in the gardens, library, or salon and spa. “We tell all of our residents, ‘The entire campus of

Heritage Community is your home,’ and we mean that,” says Prince.

In addition to the resort-style luxuries, independent living residents also have peace of mind with priority access to all levels of healthcare should the need arise in the future. And as a Life Plan Community, Heritage Community is able to provide residents with discounts on various on-campus healthcare products.

While the defining characteristics and comforts of Heritage Community will endure and continue to inform the lifestyle, Revel Creek introduces a new era at the community. “We’re building a lifestyle to accommodate the next generation of adults who want to retire in style, engage in experiences, live in health, and enjoy a full and meaningful life,” says Prince. “We embrace that type of resident—the ones who are excited about what’s next.” Revel Creek will be that exhilarating next step to look forward to along life’s journey.

“It’s exciting to be able to build a brand-new building,” he says, “which has allowed us to ask the market, ‘What do you want?’ and to respond to that next-generation resident as we move into the future.” Revel Creek will feature the most spacious retirement-living spaces in the area, with one- and two-bedroom residences starting around 1,000 square feet and topping out at close to 1,600 square feet. The new residences will also meet marketplace demand with contemporary design and high-end finishes, including beautiful kitchens—for hosting (and for cooking, if the mood strikes).

Another signature feature of Revel Creek will be smart home technology fully integrated into each residence. Through a partnership with one of Michigan’s leading developers of smart homes, Heritage Community has thoughtfully built smart home automation into each floor plan design. “We want residents to be able to tailor their space,” says Prince, “from opening the front door, to walking through as the home opens up and greets them through technology.”

The location of the future site of Revel Creek will also provide a lifestyle boost for residents. Just three miles from downtown Kalamazoo, Revel Creek will back to a private, lush, parklike setting that will connect to a creek and City-created trails, providing residents with an expansive view of nature.

While Prince is confident that Revel Creek will speak to and honor the existing Heritage Community culture, he acknowledges that the influx of new residents will further enrich that culture. “A new population at Revel Creek is going to tell us what life-enriching programs they desire, and what cultural and recreational events they’d like to attend,” he says. “We’ll have a listening ear. This is their home—their lifestyle, and we’ll tailor our services around what we hear. That always makes a community better.”

And the architectural and landscaping beauty of Revel Creek will make it a statement piece for Heritage Community. “We believe the aesthetic will speak to the next generation in senior living,” says Prince, “and it sets a new bar for independent living in Southwest Michigan.”

While the prospect of a brand-new building has energized Prince and his team, it’s really about the people. “For me and the leadership team, what gets us most excited every day is being able to serve an amazing generation of people who have done so many things in their lives,” says Prince. “I can’t wait to watch this inaugural group who will be moving into this new setting. I’m looking forward to meeting every one of the future residents as they move in, and to wowing them with the lifestyle here.”

IN THE KNOW

Q: What does our not-for-profit status mean to us here at Heritage Community of Kalamazoo? A: Our promise to seniors began in 1945 and continues to provide a secure, comfortable living for our residents to this day. Heritage Community of Kalamazoo is driven by resident satisfaction, not profit margins. We stay true to our commitment to quality of life for residents and peace of mind for their families. As a not-for-profit organization:

• We are governed by a community board rather than a group of shareholders or investors. Without the need to pay dividends to stockholders, we can reinvest funds into meaningful services, staff and programs which enhance the quality of life for residents at Heritage Community.

• Our generous donors have supported our mission throughout our 75 years of operation and continue to back the Heritage Community of Kalamazoo Foundation. We assure residents that if, through unexpected circumstances, they are unable to continue covering their own living costs, their home will always be secure here. With donations in all sizes and types, Heritage Community continues to assure residents a home, develop new programs and initiatives, provide scholarships to nursing staff, and expand our capacity to better serve our community now and in the years ahead.

Q: How does a Life Plan Community differ from a rental community? A: The primary difference between rental communities and Life Plan Communities (formerly known as Continuing Care Retirement Communities, or CCRCs) is that independent living rental communities typically do not include any financial coverage of future health care needs. In addition, rental communities may not have a continuum of care conveniently available on the same campus.

Life Plan Communities, on the other hand, do offer the various levels of living accommodations, including independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing care, and the cost of assisted living and skilled nursing care is either partially or fully covered by the entrance fee and the monthly fee. At Heritage Community of Kalamazoo, access to every level of the highest quality of care is promised at a predictable monthly cost, and with refundable entry fee options.

A great resource to learn more about the differences in general can be found at My LifeSite, “CCRC vs. Rental Retirement Community: What are the Differences?” (https://www.mylifesite.net/blog/post/ccrc-vs-rental-retirement-community-what-are-the-differences/)

Questions & Answers

Be sure and mark your calendars for the second week in December! Revel Creek invites you to join us for a festive holiday party to celebrate the season and the future.

Who’s Invited: Priority Club MembersWhen: 2nd week in DecemberStay tuned for more information.

SAVE THE DATERevel Creek Holiday Party

2nd Week in December

Referral Incentive: Interested in having your friends as your future neighbors? Hurry up and help us spread the word! For each person or couple you refer, your name goes into a monthly drawing for a $50 gift card. Have your friend contact Matt Shankle for more information at 269.743.4456 or MShankle@HeritageCommunity.com.

Marketing Events: Revel Creek is hosting a series of Exclusive Complimentary Lunch Events to share information about the community and discuss some of the many misconceptions about senior living. Please tell your friends who may be interested. You are welcome to forward the newsletter.

Who’s Invited: Your Friends and Future Neighbors When: Wednesday, October 16 | 11:30 a.m. Thursday, October 17 | 11:30 a.m.Where: Bravo! Restaurant & Café | 5402 Portage Rd. | Portage, MI 49002RSVP: Seating is limited, and reservations are required. Have your friends guarantee their seats today, or by October 14 at the latest.

• Call 800.246.4215 and give RSVP code 396596. • Register online at Seminar.RSVPyes.com/396596.

Note: November Lunch Events will be held on November 19 and 20 at 11:30 a.m. at Bravo! Restaurant & Café. RSVP contact information to be determined.

Marketing Events & Referral Incentives

SPREAD THE WORD

Refer Your Friends to be Your Future Neighbors

Lynne and Richard Miller have been enjoying their home at Heritage Community of Kalamazoo for the last two and a half years. Prior to residing at Wyndham, Heritage Community’s existing independent living residences, the Millers lived in a lovely rural area just north of Kalamazoo. Both are retired servants of their community: Richard is a former high school teacher and Lynne’s career was in social work. He is a Michigan State University graduate, and although she too went to Michigan State, Lynne earned her degree from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo.

Not long before their move, the Millers had been researching Life Plan Communities (formerly known as Continuing Care Retirement Communities). “At the time, we were looking into apartments and downsizing,” recalls Richard. Then, the catalyst for their move came in the fall of 2016, when Lynne was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. The couple realized they needed to move to a residence that would meet their evolving lifestyle and healthcare needs.

“Wyndham at Heritage Community fit our health needs and our downsizing needs,” Richard says. The apartment layout was just the right size for the couple. In addition, the Heritage Community campus provides all levels of care in one location, allowing a seamless move from one care level to another if that need should arise in the future. So, in March 2017, they decided to call Wyndham home.

“The best thing about independent living at Heritage Community of Kalamazoo is that you can be as independent and as private—or as social—as you want to be,” shares Richard. As residents of Wyndham, the Millers find that it is easy to maintain their

SPOTLIGHTMEET HERITAGE COMMUNITY RESIDENTS, THE MILLERS

A Lifestyle of Freedom and Peace of Mind

friendships, go to ballgames, travel, or even stay home to read and watch television. The community comfortably supports their pace of living and lifestyle, whatever that pace may be.

Since moving to Heritage Community of Kalamazoo, Richard reflects on how their lives have improved and the true value of this special Life Plan Community. Richard says, “I have peace of mind, being free of daily worries and activities around the house. Things are better now for Lynne—things are more routine, and it’s a smaller space, which is less confusing.”

“We get up early, lazing about for a couple of hours, drinking coffee outside on our balcony,” explains Richard. Then the couple spends the day together: shopping, running errands, having lunch, and visiting with friends. But if there is a day when Lynne prefers to stay home, Richard feels thankful that, with a simple phone call, a member of the home care staff can be arranged to come and keep Lynne company while he’s out.

“We really enjoy that there are a lot of great scheduled activities for residents and we’ve met a lot of very nice people in the community.” The Millers also enjoy the dining choices at Wyndham. “Although I make a great grilled cheese sandwich, we are thrilled with the bistro and formal dining rooms—the menus have tremendous choices.”

The Millers’ residence at Wyndham is on the same floor as the exercise and wellness room with treadmills, for whenever the mood strikes to exercise. “And, the library is just one floor up—perfect for anytime we need a reading fix,” says Richard.

Overall, Richard describes Heritage Community as a wonderfully maintained campus with acres of forested land and nice areas for walking. In addition to the friendly residents and staff, Richard says, “We have seen the different levels of care at the campus, and they are all nice.”

Reflecting on their own choice to move to Heritage Community, Richard shares his thoughts with future residents considering such a move. “Circumstances play a role in life,” he says. “While downsizing is critical, moving into a residential community is just another way of living.” Contemplating what they’ve gained with their new lifestyle, Richard resolves, “We have not lost anything that we liked to do. We are both happy here. It really was not a big transition.”

1609 Whites Road, Kalamazoo, MI 49008 • (269) 743-445 • revelcreek.com