Beatitudes Blog

In honor of Valentine’s Day, we thought we’d share some poetry from two of our Beatitudes Campus resident poets.

Did you attend our inaugural Power of the Purse Cocktail Party and Auction in May of 2011? If you did, thank you! If you could not attend, you sure missed one amazing party! More than 300 supporters helped to make this first year fund-raiser a huge success, bringing in about $90,700 to benefit the residents of Beatitudes Campus.

“In 2030, it is estimated that 22% of the population will be over the age of 65,” according to projections from the United States Census Bureau. Many Beatitudes Campus residents and home care clients have expressed they “never planned to live ‘this’ long.” Today, not only are older adults are living longer than ever before, but our nation’s population is more saturated with citizens living beyond the age of 65 than our nation has ever experienced.

There are definitely perks to being the CEO at Beatitudes Campus! Really. What other executive can expect to walk into her office any day of the year and find a note or a token of affection far more often than she finds a letter of complaint or a problem to be solved? I've learned to smile when I see an envelope with the simple address "Peggy" handwritten across the front. Such was my reaction when I opened a small manila mailer from our own Rev. Harold Byrn. What I guessed was a thick letter folded in half, turned out to be a gift that I will treasure forever.

As the end of 2011 approaches, financial and tax planning seems more complex than ever. The world economic situation remains unsettled, the stock market seems stuck in a rollercoaster and politicians in Washington continue their partisan posturing. But with both tax and interest rates at historical lows, opportunities for income and estate tax planning remain plentiful. As you review your financial picture during the last month of the year, consider some strategies to save on taxes. As with all tax strategies, please consult with a tax professional before making any decisions.

Sometimes early in the morning while it was still dark outside, we would hear heavy rubber hip boots “tip-toeing” around in the kitchen and a rattle-trap Ford truck “idling” out in front of the house. Then we would know the Bunker boys were there. It was impossible for either of them to tip-toe; they were BIG men—6 foot 3 or 4 inches tall and 250 pounds or more of muscle. They were lobstermen who worked on the sea. Try as they might, they could not be quiet. They had voices that carried over the ocean when they called from boat to boat—very necessary in times of trouble or when a joke just had to be shared.