Casey’s Pond Senior Living Expresses Gratitude to the Community

Posted: September 6, 2024

You could call it The Miracle on Owl Hoot Trail or The Unbelievable Comeback in Steamboat. Either way, residents and team members know the real reasons this senior living community is getting a second chance; the Steamboat Springs and Yampa Valley communities value quality elder care and they love Casey’s Pond. Recently the greater Steamboat community rallied to raise enough money to meet bondholder’s requirements allowing the community to be purchased by Northwest Colorado Health. This means residents can continue to live at Casey’s Pond and team members can keep their jobs. For that, we want to say Thank You!

Thank you to the City of Steamboat Springs for getting the ball rolling with an initial $2.5 million emergency funds authorization. We are grateful for your support.

Thank you to the Yampa Valley Community Foundation, for taking the ball and running with it.  Your determination to fundraise and negotiate the sale to an organization that will also value the community truly saved the day. From the Steamboat Pilot, “This community loves Casey’s Pond. It is not only a place that they all trust will be there for them when they get older because it provides that hope for their own futures of aging here in Routt County, but it’s also symbolic,” said Tim Wohlgenant, CEO of the Yampa Valley Community Foundation. “It’s like what you see when you come into this valley, and we’re thrilled because people stepped up in an enormous way.”

Thank you to all of the donors who love Casey’s Pond and couldn’t bear to see it go. We are here to stay because of you. Steamboat is a special place and the people who live here are made of grit and determination.  

Thank you to the Casey’s Pond team members.  “I am humbled by the team members’ dedication, who, despite all the challenges of the past few months, continued to show up and make Casey’s Pond such a wonderful place to live and work.” Jeanine Woosley, Executive Director Casey’s Pond. “I am overwhelmed with gratitude that we will continue as a senior community with all levels of care still operational.” Aneita from Dining Services put it this way, “I came to realize that this was more than just me, this was more than just losing a job, this was heartbreaking, losing relationships, losing a part of my family because that’s what Casey’s Pond has become to me, an extension of my family. It is with tears in my eyes and a heart filled with gratitude that I am saying a huge thank you to the foundation, the steamboat community and all involved. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for saving my Casey’s Pond family and keeping us all together as such!” 

Thank you to the residents who continue to believe in the community. “When the receivership was announced, I was acutely aware of what a blessing it is to be a part of this community, which made the prospect of leaving it devastating. I understood how special this place is from the day I moved in (ten years ago this week!)” explains  Casey’s Pond resident Eric Berkey “What I feel most now is gratitude. I’m grateful for all of the people in the community who stepped up to save Casey’s Pond. To the staff, organizers, advocates, public officials, donors and EVERYONE who collaborated to make this rescue happen, I hope you know how powerful your actions have been in bringing hope and deliverance to those of us who felt powerless.” Read Eric’s full testimonial here    “All of us at Casey’s Pond will forever be indebted to the greater Steamboat community for their support, generosity, and dedication to our elder population,” said Jeanine. 

Thank you to Northwest Colorado Health for believing in the mission of Casey’s Pond and for your willingness to support senior living in Steamboat Springs. We are excited to partner with you to secure a future for residents and the older adults of Steamboat.“The community has really stepped up and we are honored to be a part of this effort to save much-needed services for the aging population in our region,” said Stephanie Einfeld, CEO of Northwest Colorado Health.

Thank you to Cappella Living Solutions (CLC-Cappella) for serving Casey’s Pond for the last eight years, including navigating the pandemic. “I can think of no better example of a community where aging is honored and celebrated than Casey’s Pond and the people and organizations who rallied to save it,” said Jill Vitale-Aussem, President and CEO CLC-Cappella. “We are a proud Colorado nonprofit with 52 years of excellence in senior living. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Northwest Colorado Health to ensure Casey’s Pond continues its award-winning services and care and vibrant age-positive culture of continued learning, belonging, and purpose.”

The future is now bright for Casey’s Pond with Northwest Colorado Health, CLC-Cappella, and this amazing community of greater Steamboat Springs behind us. We simply cannot say thank you enough.