Support Seniors Like Norma on Giving Tuesday

Dear Friends,

 Norma has not seen her family in many months. This will be the first holiday season that she will spend apart from her family. At 94 years young, Norma relies on a walker to get around and has memory loss issues that make living independently a challenge. That is why she was so grateful to move into assisted living in March. But just as she arrived, the pandemic hit. 

Instead of making new friends, Norma spent many weeks in her apartment receiving delivered meals, reading the paper, painting, and listening to classical music to pass the time. Weekly calls with her children and grandchildren lifted her spirits as did the care and concern of our dedicated staff. 

Today, the restrictions have eased, and Norma has been enjoying social engagements with her new neighbors. On Thursday afternoons, you can find Norma teaching her weekly, socially distanced art class to fellow assisted living residents. Art has been her passion for most of her life and is something she says has helped her to stay well through the pandemic. 

This has been a very difficult year for the nation and even more so for older adults like Norma. The COVID19 crisis has disproportionally affected seniors and put them at a greater risk of acquiring the virus, with potentially lethal consequences. It is estimated that eight out of ten COVID19 related deaths in the country have been among individuals age 65 and older.  

Culpepper Garden is among a small number of senior living communities who has not been stricken with the virus. Our staff has diligently followed CDC guidelines and implemented safety measures to protect the health and safety of our residents. As a result, our community remains COVID free. But we cannot celebrate that victory just yet. 

The resurgence of coronavirus cases threatens more restrictive measures and trepidation that a new round of stay-at-home orders may be imminent even as the long-awaited vaccine is near.  For seniors who are already dealing with health challenges, social distancing and increasing loneliness and isolation put them at even greater risk for negative health outcomes.   

Culpepper Garden is committed to providing affordable housing and services that help our aging residents maintain their independence and well-being. We offer 73 units of Assisted Living for residents requiring increasing levels of care and we are the first and only low-income senior community in Arlington that also offers affordable assisted living. We urgently need your help to ensure that our most vulnerable seniors can get through this current crisis with their mental and physical health intact. Your donation of any amount will make a significant impact in the lives of seniors like Norma. 

This Giving Tuesday, we ask you to join us in showing our vulnerable seniors that they are special, valued, and worthy of care. With your help, we can make sure that seniors like Norma stay safe from the virus, and have peace of mind in knowing that they have a home at Culpepper Garden despite their lack of financial resources and no matter what may come as we head into an uncertain but hopeful future. Thank you for your support! 

Happy Holidays and Happy Giving Tuesday!