Two boxes of groceries provided to Archway residents.
Alexandra (AAOA):
You have an incredible number of donation-based food banks that support the residents as well. I’d love to hear a little bit about those efforts.
Georgeanne Barrett (Archway Communities):
We really feel like the supportive services program is the cornerstone of what makes Archway work and food security is a huge part of that. We do an annual community needs assessment across our portfolio, which currently includes nine properties. When we talk to our residents and get feedback from them on what their highest needs are, food security is always at the top of that list. The supportive services program came to be when we implemented our no-cost food program. A lot of it is via donations. We work really closely
with Food Bank of the Rockies here in the Denver area and Care and Share in the Colorado Springs area. Other donations come in through additional partnerships. And as much as we rely on food banks for our no-cost food program, they don’t always meet all the needs of our residents. Each property will purchase additional food to supplement the food bank offerings, making sure that there are fresh vegetables, shelf stable items, protein, dairy and bread. We also rely on philanthropic dollars to help fill that gap.
Alexandra (AAOA):
I read that a couple of your developments are senior living communities. How are they different and what are the needs for that demographic?
Georgeanne Barrett (Archway Communities):
We have two properties that just serve adults 62 and older who are living independently. But as you can imagine, their needs are completely different than a family property. That’s where community needs assessment comes into play. It’s so vital and essential because we can really home in on what those needs are. As an example, at our older adult properties, we offer financial literacy, gardening, access to transportation, linkages to healthcare and mental
healthcare. The need to decrease depression, isolation, and loneliness is something that we see across all our properties, but in particular in our older adult communities. So just building that sense of community, having coffee meetings or community get togethers where folks can learn about benefits or a book club or something where people can come together and get to know their neighbors really makes a big difference.
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