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Annual Report 2023-2024: Letter from Amanda Pierro & Roman Gerhard
To our Supporters, Employees, and Friends,
The donors whose names appear in this annual report are enabling our communities to seek creative solutions for issues that are perplexing state agencies and nonprofit organizations across the country. How will we shelter our wonderful elders of all abilities? How will we empower them? How will we comfort them? And how will we encourage their independence without diminishing their very real needs?
Our Camphill Communities have long been committed to meeting the evolving needs of our members, whether through establishing care houses in Copake or developing Camphill Ghent. Today, Camphill Village Copake has three care houses to support residents who need an extended level of care, primarily elders who joined Camphill Village in the 1960s and 1970s. This option allows residents to continue living in our intergenerational community while also receiving the care they need. Other community members chose to move to Camphill Ghent because they were looking for a community specifically designed for their elder years—one that offers dedicated care, rich social opportunities, and a vibrant cultural life.
Our community members of all abilities and ages cherish their autonomy while building up a community that is here to support them should they need it. Developing these communities requires a delicate balance: encouraging genuinely inspired contribution that in turn inspires more contribution; maintaining variety in programing while ensuring reliable rhythm; staying true to our communities’ individual missions and donors while looking ahead to predict hurdles in the future.
We believe that care should adapt to each person’s changing needs. However, as individuals age, funding for their care often falls short. As our community ages, we see firsthand how resources fall short, making it harder to provide the care and support that elders deserve. And while we appreciate the licensing, collegial relationships, guidance, and funding our state agencies provide, no system is perfect—ongoing improvements are essential to ensure aging adults receive the dignity and care they need.
Where does this position our communities?
Your grants, bequests, and individual donations connect Camphill Ghent’s elders through shared experiences, like engaging poetry and book readings, classical and jazz concerts, visual arts, group discussions, and more. Your support enables the elders of both of our communities to discover an evolving purpose, to form new relationships, and nourish their interests.
Our elders in Ghent continue to see friends regularly throughout the week and during gatherings in Ghent’s Culture Hall. Your support doesn’t just enrich lives—it ensures compassionate, individualized care. Maintaining a low caregiver-to-resident ratio means our dedicated staff can provide the attention and dignity every elder deserves.
Copake and Ghent’s staff and residential volunteers are responsible for caring for the entire person and providing opportunities for continuous spiritual growth and physical wellness. Our communities are entirely grateful to the staff of nurses, case managers, therapists, doctors, caregivers, and Direct Support Professionals (DSP) who work alongside the residential volunteers in our communities.
And in order to continue to support their good work and our exceptional programing, our Master Planning Committee has been hard at work to determine our impending needs and how we will fund them. We know we need to increase livable square footage for our aging population. And we know we need to improve upon many of Copake’s aging households, most of which were built in the 1960s. And of course, the increased space— whether in Copake or Ghent—will need to be staffed appropriately.
The progressing care of our people reminds us that we are truly blessed; it is because of their longevity that we have the pleasure and responsibility of planning for their futures. We are grateful to you, our supporters for bringing us this far. Your charitable gifts to our 2023-2024 annual fund have supported the care, health, and engagement of our community members through our 2024-2025 fiscal year. And as we continue to plan for the future, your support will help our community to meet the evolving needs of our community members—ones we’ve known for decades, and young ones who have their entire adult lives ahead of them.
With thanks for your continued support,
Roman Gerhard Executive Director, Camphill Village Copake
Amanda Pierro Executive Director, Camphill Ghent
