Each week, students from Oak Grove Elementary school visit Rose Villa as a part of a fun and educational after school program. Every session is filled with students and seniors coming together to work on projects that really speak to the greater good. In January, we embarked on a journey into the wide world of ancestry by researching our family trees and examining pieces of our family histories. Residents and students found common ground and celebrated differences.  In February, this group continues to explore social studies by celebrating Black History Month. Introducing students to first hand encounters experienced by Rose Villa residents of the Civil Rights Movement is extremely powerful education. Students hear firsthand what it was like to live in a time that was filled with challenges and uncertainty while at the same time experiencing true understanding and compassion.

Rose Villa residents Pat Matthews and Carol Bosworth relax in our lobby

“[Another community we visited] didn’t say we couldn’t come,” Matthews says. “But they said that we would best off there if we were sisters…

…When the pair told their story to Rose Villa CEO Vassar Byrd, she said “I couldn’t believe that in this day and age that that would happen. I was absolutely shocked beyond belief.” Byrd not only welcomed the couple but she set about making sure Rose Villa was as hospitable as possible to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, or LGBT seniors…

…Pat Matthews says she considers herself fortunate to have ended up at Rosa Villa.

To listen to the on-air report, click here.

To read the OPB News article on which it was based, click here.

Thanks, OPB News!

Old cans of paint await a new life at Rose Villa

At Rose Villa, we believe in supporting non-profits that are committed to improving their communities without sacrificing sustainability. That’s why we are always looking for good partners, and continuously evaluating our own space needs and processes.

In pursuit of those goals, we recently decided to decommission our on-site paint shop. You can imagine how much paint and paint materials have been accumulated over the years to take care of 22 acres of buildings! The paint was sorted and we decided to store of some of it in a smaller, more appropriate space.

For the rest? Creative disposition resulted in 130 gallons of paint being taken to Metro, where the paint will be recycled & resold — not added to a landfill. An added benefit of repurposing the paint shop was that it created a valuable space for the campus resale shop, the Treasure House. We now have a fresh new showroom perfect for showcasing furniture items where customers can shop and then drive right up to load their purchases.

Continuing to provide superior living spaces for seniors is our priority. We are engaged in extensive renovations that create new and inviting areas. But at the same time, this process creates building waste. Miscellaneous leftover building materials such as doors, cabinets, appliances, light fixtures and hardware make up the bulk of what we can’t reuse.

Opportunity builds community. With our excess reusable building materials, we are able to reach out to other nonprofit s and give them a hand. Habitat for Humanity Restore visited us with a 30 foot box truck and removed enough items to fill their truck to 60% capacity. They in turn re-sell these materials in order to fund their single family building projects throughout the metro area. The Iron Tribe is a nonprofit group that works to build out large single family homes into transitional housing. They are constantly in need of all types of building materials and appliances. We were able to provide them with multiple appliances and cabinets that were no longer useful here at Rose Villa. Those appliances and cabinets now provide a practical use.

Rose Villa is proud to aid such beneficial programs that assist those in need, reduce landfill waste and promote sustainability. We are always looking for new partners, new ideas, and better ways to build the future, together.