Kendal-Crosslands Communities

By Michele Berardi

In 1681, William Penn specified that settlers coming to the lands granted to him by English King Charles II (Charles called it “Pennsylvania”) must preserve one acre of trees for every five acres cleared. Their descendants extended Penn’s far-sighted conservation measures by planting and studying collections of trees. Nearly 300 years after Penn, a gift from Philadelphia-area Quakers helped establish Kendal Crosslands Communities, a LifePlan Retirement Community in Kennett Square.

It’s not surprising then that Kendal~Crosslands still focuses on sustaining the natural environment and is unlike any retirement community in Chester County.

The campus is nestled on 500 acres and is a certified Arboretum surrounded by forests, meadows, tranquil water features, luscious manicured gardens, over 7 miles of hiking trails, and rolling hills. Joint committees work with local horticulture and nature conservancy groups to sponsor public events at the Kendal~Crosslands Arboretum, service programs for area youth, educational programs, and other health-giving involvement for the residents. Additionally, the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has designated the Kendal~Crosslands campus as a Certified Wildlife Habitat. NWF celebrates and recognizes the efforts of the community to create outdoor spaces that improve habitats for birds, butterflies, frogs, and other wildlife by providing essential elements needed by all wildlife which are natural food sources, clean water, cover, and places to raise young.

Both staff and residents take great care in maintaining and improving the landscaped grounds and have been very active in the stewardship of natural resources, including the restoration of a rich diversity of plants that provide native habitat for birds and other wildlife. Over the past few years, residents and staff have planted more than 500 woody plants in their forests and countless wildflower plugs in the meadows. As a result, residents enjoy life and the natural beauty of the world around them, and it’s evident with their countless hours of labor of love to support it.

Kendal~Crosslands Communities began 50 years ago in historic Southern Chester County, adjacent to Longwood Gardens. The community consists of four campuses, Kendal at Longwood and Crosslands (two LifePlan communities, offering a continuum of care) and Coniston and Cartmel (two 50-plus communities), all of which provide diverse choices in residential cottages and apartments and wonderful amenities. Their sustainability practices percolate into their residential homes as well. Brand new cottages and apartments on their Crosslands campus target the Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) certification. These new homes will also be able to add solar panels to reduce their environmental impact further and enhance sustainability. Additionally,

Come experience the start of a whole new lifestyle for seniors. Residents have the comfort of knowing that they can receive personal care without having to move. Care is brought to them. Quality of life, combined with a comfortable setting, makes Friends Home unique. It is the residents who fill the community with their vitality and spirit that make this a very special place, indeed.

147 West State Street, Kennett Square, PA 19348 Phone: (610) 444-8785 | Fax: (610) 444-2856 | www.friendshomeinkennett.org

resident energy committees are very active in creating electric vehicle charging stations and a recent hydroponics lab to grow vegetables used in their dining room.

But one of Kendal~Crosslands Communities’ most distinctive characteristics is their approach to quality wellness programs and health care services. They strive to provide authentic multiple scales of living and expressions of self with services that focus on capabilities. In addition, the physical design of their buildings supports and enhances the aging process and the provision

of services. Last year, a workgroup of staff members, residents, and board members gathered to listen, share a vision and ideas, and engage with one another in a collaborative process to begin redesigning their Kendal at Longwood Health Center. This new design of our Resident Care, Personal Care, Skilled Nursing, and Rehabilitation spaces will integrate their rooted commitment to the environment where community, nature, and care meet. The workgroup focused on a vision incorporating a setting that transforms the aging experiences. Preserving the campus’ capacity to sustain and inspire, along with nature that nurtures, requires a creative responsibility towards the earth inherited from previous generations. It is the community’s intention to leave the next generation a legacy of sustainably managed resources that bequeaths to the future a world rich in beauty and diversity. As one of the area’s most highly regarded retirement communities, Kendal~Crosslands has a long legacy to build upon and one to leave. Residents, who come from not only the local area but from across the country, help add to the diverse beauty of its natural outdoor spaces. The campuses of Kendal~Crosslands are a place of peace and tranquility, inspiration and joy, a landscape that supports each person’s individual needs and interests while reflecting the richness of community living.

For more information, you may view their website at kcc.kendal.org.