CareSource Donates $1 Million to Support Innovative Redevelopment of Former Longfellow School Property

Dayton, Ohio, Nov. 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CareSource, a nationally recognized nonprofit health plan and the Dayton area’s largest employer, announced today a $1 million donation to United Church Homes to support the development of a 126-unit, age 55-plus residential community that will be intentionally programmed as welcoming and enriching for the LGBTQA+ community and allies. The Longfellow Commons Community will be the first senior living community of its kind in Dayton and only the fourth in the nation. The project will include the redevelopment of the former Longfellow School on Salem Avenue and ultimately comprise a new apartment building and shared community spaces on its 2+ acre campus.

“Providing opportunities to live your best life is important to CareSource,” said Erhardt Preitauer, president & CEO of CareSource. “We hope this financial support enables United Church Homes to positively enrich the lives of both the LGBTQA+ community as well as the neighborhood where it is being developed.”

Longfellow School was located at 245 Salem Avenue in Dayton’s historic Grafton Hill neighborhood until its closure in 2017. The campus was purchased in 2020 by The G.F. Bailey Company and Weyland Ventures, and the project has received federally funded and competitive Historic Tax Credit approval.

United Church Homes, based in Marion, Ohio, which owns and manages more than 80 retirement communities in 14 states and two native American nations, will serve as the senior living partner in the project. According to United Church Homes, 48% of LGBTQ+ couples experience adverse treatment when seeking senior housing, and community members are more likely than heterosexual people to experience negative physical and mental health challenges.

The Longfellow Commons Community will offer residents an array of services and programs designed to promote good health and wellness, such as service coordination to help connect with providers, resources and transportation, fitness classes, social events and pet walking.

“We consider it an honor to partner with CareSource who shares our passion for this unique project and has come alongside in support with meaningful resources to help make it a reality,” said Rev. Kenneth Daniel, president and chief executive officer for United Church Homes. “This project will have wide-ranging appeal to older adults in the Dayton area and beyond who desire to live in an intentionally inclusive, safe and welcoming community.”

About CareSource

CareSource is a nonprofit, nationally recognized managed care organization with over 2 million members. Headquartered in Dayton, Ohio since its founding in 1989, CareSource administers one of the largest Medicaid managed care plans in the U.S. The organization offers health insurance, including Medicaid, Health Insurance Marketplace, Medicare Advantage and dual-eligible programs. Through its network of health plans, CareSource serves members in Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia. The company is leading the way in serving populations with complex needs and extended its presence into 12 additional states with the acquisition of The Columbus Organization, a trusted partner to health care agencies and provider organizations in improving coordination and support for individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities and behavioral health challenges through its staffing, quality improvement and care coordination services. As a mission-driven organization, CareSource is transforming health care with innovative programs that address the social determinants of health, health equity, prevention and access to care.

For more, visit www.caresource.com, follow @caresource on Twitter, or like CareSource on Facebook.  

About United Church Homes

United Church Homes is a leading provider of senior living and services and the 21st largest multisite, nonprofit senior living organization in the U.S. according to the 2021 LeadingAge Ziegler 200 ranking, serving more than 5500 residents in its owned and managed communities.

For more information visit: www.unitedchurchhomes.org.

Attachments

• Longfellow Rendering
• Longfellow School

Joseph Kelley
CareSource
5135098466
joseph.kelley@caresource.com

Source: CareSource