Tanglewood Park Campaign Reaching 90% of Goal!

By the Fall of 2008, the Tanglewood Park project aims to house four senior-serving agencies under one roof, boast a beautiful café/coffee shop, install a brand-new ‘Meals on Wheels’ kitchen, and offer a variety of wellness and enrichment programs to benefit mature adults. The name, Tanglewood Park, nicely describes the building’s location at 560 Seminole Road between Tanglewood and Park Streets in Muskegon, Michigan.

Half of the facility will house the new Life Circles Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) Clinic. This medical day clinic will serve Medicare/Medicaid nursing home eligible elderly from Muskegon County and the North Ottawa area.

Senior Resources, Nutritional Services for Older Americans (Meals on Wheels), and the Community Access Line of the Lakeshore (CALL 2-1-1) will help create this one-stop shop for seniors by occupying the other half of the former D&W building.  All four agencies serve multiple counties (Muskegon, Ottawa, and Oceana) and together serve over 1,800 mature adults and their families every day. This facility will allow them to expand programs and services to meet the needs of the retiring “Baby Boomer” generation—from the active retiree to the frail elderly and their caregivers.

Larry Hines, President of the Hines Corporation, recently agreed to lead the capital fund drive to create a multi-agency service and community center for older adults and their families. “I have agreed to assist in the fundraising effort for the Tanglewood Park project, because I am convinced it will improve the lifestyle of countless older citizens and serve all residents of Western Michigan for many years to come,” stated Hines.

“Many of these individuals are previous associates of a broad range of employers in the Western Michigan area.  In turn, a significant number of our organizations have grown and prospered with the help and support of these older adults and their families.  It’s time to invest in a facility that will serve this growing population” said Hines.

Thanks to the Alcoa Foundation, the Shaw and Betty Walker Foundation and CWC Textron the Tanglewood Park Capital Campaign is gaining momentum and climbing ever closer to success. I am so grateful to Amy Heisser, Mrs. Shaw Walker and Jim Heethuis for embracing this collaborative endeavor that will be ‘one of a kind’ in the nation. They asked questions, toured the facility and have decided to commit significant resources towards creating a beautiful one-stop senior center in West Michigan.

There is simply no downside to this project that will demonstrate impressive cost efficiencies and improve service delivery in a seamless continuum of care to meet the needs of every stage and phase of aging—from fitness and lifelong learning activities for the active retiree to long-term care options and services for the frail elderly and their caregivers. As an employer, I will refer employees who are also working as caregivers to Tanglewood Park to better access information and resources.