When asked to pilot a first-of-its-kind travel exchange program, Charlie and Janet Bittinger of Abernethy Laurels in Newton, N.C., didn’t think twice.
The Passport to Travel program allows residents of eight CHHSM-related senior living organizations to lodge free of charge at a sister community of their choice for up to two weeks. The Bittingers hit the open road in April for Evangelical Homes of Michigan’s Brecon Village in Saline, Mich.
They spent three days seeing sights like Lake Erie and the Henry Ford Museum, but they were most impressed with the hospitality shown to them at Brecon Village.
“The facilities were so nice,” says Charlie Bittinger. “They just could not do enough for us.” Charlie says that the couple is likely to travel again with the program in the future.
“We worked very hard to make sure the Bittingers had a complete travel package,” says Evangelical Homes of Michigan President and CEO Denise Rabidoux. Rabidoux provided the couple with maps of local attractions, as well as a list of the best restaurants, museums and art venues.
She even arranged a private dinner for the Bittingers and a few Brecon Village residents to allow them to share stories and develop new friendships.
“If we indeed say we are an organization that is open and welcoming, then this opportunity with Passport to Travel has allowed us to live out our mission and values with radical hospitality,” Rabidoux says.
Joy Cline, senior director of marketing and sales for Abernethy Laurel’s parent organization, United Church Homes and Services, agrees that the program is a “win-win situation.” She says it’s been a great opportunity to learn and implement more from sister communities.
“I have only heard wonderful things back from the Bittingers,” Cline says. “They were treated like kings and queens from the first time someone spotted a North Carolina license tag.”
Passport to Travel is an initiative of the CHHSM Senior Services Collaborative (CSSC), a group of senior living leaders dedicated to creating new models for value-added, mission-driven services. CSSC’s mission is to share best practices, and implement programs across their communities that enhance the quality of life for residents.
Residents across the communities will continue to test-drive the program until its official launch on August 1.
In addition to Evangelical Homes and United Church Homes and Services, residents are welcome to make reservations at selected communities with the following participating organizations: Beatitudes Campus in Phoenix, Ariz.; Cedar Community in West Bend, Wis.; Havenwood-Heritage Heights in Concord, N.H.; Horizon House in Seattle, Wash.; Phoebe Ministries in Allentown, Pa.; and United Church Homes in Marion, Ohio.
To learn more about Passport to Travel, contact CHHSM Vice President Mike Readinger at readingm@chhsm.org.
