Bishop Gadsden Episcopal Retirement Community

OPERATION OF A FAITH-BASED RETIREMENT FACILITY PROVIDING HOUSING AND HEALTH CARE SERVICES

FOUNDED BY THE FOURTH EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF SOUTH CAROLINA IN 1850, BISHOP GADSDEN EPISCOPAL RETIREMENT COMMUNITY UPHOLDS THE TRADITION OF FAITH-BASED, NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS DEDICATED TO THE WELL-BEING OF THOSE PERSONS WHO, BECAUSE OF AGE, PERSONAL CONDITIONS, HEALTH AND THEIR EXPRESS DESIRE, CHOOSE TO RESIDE IN A RETIREMENT COMMUNITY. BISHOP GADSDEN IS A MISSION-DRIVEN, ORGANIZATION WHICH HAS A LONG-TERM OBLIGATION TO ITS RESIDENTS AND IS COMMITTED TO REMOVING FINANCIAL BARRIERS TO RESIDENCY. ITS ROOTS IN THE GREATER CHARLESTON COMMUNITY SPAN OVER 174 YEARS AND, THROUGH THE YEARS, IT HAS RESPONDED TO SPECIFIC NEEDS OF THE GREATER COMMUNITY. IT HAS LONG BEEN OPEN TO ALL MEN AND WOMEN WITHOUT REGARD TO RACE, CREED, RELIGION, SEXUAL PREFERENCE, OR NATIONAL ORIGIN.RETIREMENT COMMUNITY: BISHOP GADSDEN SERVES APPROXIMATELY 500 SENIOR ADULTS, 62 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER, RESIDING IN FOUR LEVELS OF CARE: INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY (268 UNITS), ASSISTED LIVING (79 UNITS), MEMORY SUPPORT (32 BEDS), AND SKILLED NURSING CARE (100 BEDS). BISHOP GADSDEN OPERATES TO MEET THE PRIMARY NEEDS OF SENIORS BY PROVIDING (1) RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES DESIGNED TO MEET PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, RECREATIONAL, SOCIAL, RELIGIOUS, AND SIMILAR NEEDS OF THE ELDERLY, (2) ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE SERVICES AS NEEDED, (3) ASSURANCE THAT THE ORGANIZATION IS RUN IN A FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE MANNER, AND (4) THE COMMITMENT OF FINANCIAL SECURITY TO ANY RESIDENT WHO RUNS OUT OF MONEY THROUGH NO FAULT OF HIS/HER OWN.

CHARITABLE GIVING AND GENEROUS SPIRIT PROGRAMS: THROUGHOUT BISHOP GADSDEN'S HISTORY, A COMMITMENT TO GIVING HAS BEEN ON THE FOREFRONT RESULTING IN OVER $13 MILLION IN CHARITABLE CARE AND GIFTS BEING RAISED FOR CHARITABLE CARE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND DISTRIBUTED TO OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY.THE CHARITABLE MISSION COMMITTEE'S NONPROFIT SELECTION CHAIR AND FELLOW RESIDENTS SELECT A SMALL GROUP (5 TO 7) OF NONPROFITS FROM A LIST OF AROUND 30 NONPROFIT GRANT APPLICATIONS TO SUPPORT EACH YEAR. LED BY RESIDENTS, WITH ASSISTANCE FROM TEAM MEMBERS OF THE CHARITABLE GIVING OFFICE, THE CHARITABLE MISSION COMMITTEE SETS A FUNDRAISING GOAL. IN 2023, THIS IMPORTANT COMMITTEE DISBURSED $425,000 IN CASH. THESE FUNDS WERE ALLOCATED AS FOLLOWS: $132,500 EACH, TO MY SISTERS HOUSE AND OUR LADY OF MERCY, $80,000 EACH TO CHARLESTON AREA SENIOR CITIZENS AND KIDS ON POINT, $2,000 CHARLESTON WATERKEEPER, $2,000 TO PET HELPERS TURN90, AND $2,500 TO READING PARTNERS. ADDITIONALLY, $12,200 IN IN-KIND ITEMS, PLUS 600 TOYS FOR HABITAT FOR HUMANITY AND TOYS FOR TOTS WERE DONATED. IN ADDITION TO CHARITABLE CAUSES THAT SUPPORT OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS, RESIDENTS AND STAFF CONTRIBUTE TO THE STRONGHEART EMPLOYEE EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP, WITH $103,000 BEING DISTRIBUTED TO EMPLOYEES FOR EDUCATION PURPOSES AND EDUCATION DEBT ELIMINATION, AS WELL AS THE EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE FUND, WHICH GAVE LOANS AND GRANTS IN THE NET AMOUNT OF $48,370. IN ADDITION, THE EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE FUND PROVIDED 102 CARDS AND $102,400 IN BACK-TO-SCHOOL FUNDS FOR ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES.RESIDENTS AND STAFF CONTRIBUTE MORE THAN 7,200 VOLUNTEER HOURS TO LOCAL AND NATIONAL CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS, AN INVESTMENT OF $228,960. ADDITIONALLY, BISHOP GADSDEN'S CULINARY DEPARTMENT DONATED 19,691 POUNDS OF FOOD, EQUALING A GIFT OF $33,499, AND 29,536 MEALS. EXECUTIVE STAFF ALSO SIT ON COMMUNITY BOARDS SUCH AS ROPER ST. FRANCIS, VANTAGE POINT FOUNDATION, LOWCOUNTRY ASSOCIATION OF FUNDRAISING PROFESSIONALS, SC/NC PLANNED GIVING CONFERENCE, SEA ISLAND HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, LEADINGAGE SC AND WE ARE SHARING HOPE.

RESIDENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: BISHOP CHRISTOPHER GADSDEN FOUNDED THE HOME FOR ORPHANS AND WIDOWS IN 1850 TO ASSIST THOSE IN NEED. HIS VISION FOR A CARING COMMUNITY IS THE HEART AND SOUL OF THE ORGANIZATION NOW CALLED BISHOP GADSDEN. AT THE CORE OF BISHOP GADSDEN IS THE BELIEF AND EXECUTION OF THE CHARITABLE MISSION.SINCE 1995, BISHOP GADSDEN'S RESIDENT ASSISTANCE FUND HAS DONATED MORE THAN $5.5 MILLION IN CHARITABLE CARE TO RESIDENTS FACING FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES. THE RESIDENT ASSISTANCE FUND ALLEVIATES ANY ANXIETIES RESIDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES HAVE BY ASSURING THEM THAT THEY WILL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE THE CARE THEY NEED REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY CAN PAY. THROUGH THE CONTINUED EFFORTS OF BISHOP GADSDEN RESIDENTS, FAMILIES, STAFF, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, THE RESIDENT ASSISTANCE FUND CONTINUES TO BE A HIGH PRIORITY. THIS IMPERATIVE FUND ALLOWS BISHOP GADSDEN TO ASSIST RESIDENTS AND FUTURE RESIDENTS WHO, BY NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN, CAN NO LONGER AFFORD THEIR CONTINUED CARE, WHILE ALSO SUPPORTING OUTSIDE CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS.ALL RESIDENTS WHO ARE RECEIVING FINANCIAL SUPPORT OR ASSISTANCE ARE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 73-98. THEY COME FROM THE GREATER CHARLESTON AREA, ARE BOTH MALE AND FEMALE, AND CROSS ALL SOCIOECONOMIC LINES. BISHOP GADSDEN WILL CONTINUE TO EXTEND ASSISTANCE TO RESIDENTS, ACTING ON THE FIRM BELIEF THAT REMOVING ECONOMIC BARRIERS TO RESIDENCY IS PART OF ITS MISSION.IN 2023, $229,294 WAS DISTRIBUTED IN CHARITABLE CARE.