In addition to holding church services and engaging in mission work, Calvary Church operates a day care, a private Christian school from pre-K through high school and a thrift shop which uses its proceeds to benefit children's causes locally and globally.
According to Ryan Mobley, Calvary's groups and discipleship pastor and business administrator, "Part of the vision of Calvary has always been to serve and minister to people from the cradle to the grave. In light of this vision, Calvary partnered with HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development) to build the 60-unit Capitol Retirement Village 20 years ago to provide safe, quality, affordable housing to those over 62 years old who also meet financial guidelines."
Vicki Selvaggio, Capitol Retirement Village's service coordinator, said the complex at 500 Bruns Lane currently hosts 59 residents with another 51 people on a waiting list. The youngest resident is 64, the oldest 103, and the average age is 79. One tenant has lived at CRV for 19 years. All of the one-bedroom apartments are 540 square feet, and four have accessibility features for wheelchairs. Residents benefit from on-site laundry and a beauty shop, transportation and other amenities. Admission to CRV depends on meeting HUD qualifications.
"As the service coordinator," said Selvaggio, "I provide extensive services and resources to help our residents maintain their independence and save money. Services may include homemaker assistance with meal preparation, housekeeping, laundry and grocery shopping. I also assist them in obtaining durable medical equipment and medical alerts. The Illinois Department of Public Health has teamed up with CRV and provides annual flu shots."
Additionally, Selvaggio supplies residents with legal documents for property and health care and helps to update or implement a will and organize personal records. Because Medicare enrollment and comparing drug plans can be confusing and overwhelming, she brings in resources to aid residents in choosing their annual health care plans. If a resident cannot afford the cost of a prescription, she will see if a patient-assistance program is available. She also assists with reviewing complicated medical bills.
"For those who qualify," said Selvaggio, "I assist with the application process to enroll them into Medicaid to receive medical, Extra Help and SNAP benefits. Residents can also meet with me for the recertification process to reapply for those benefits." She helps residents save money on winter energy costs with LIHEAP applications and other age and income-related benefits. CRV provides a food bank in the community room every other week at no cost. During the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, CRV partners with a food bank to provide each resident with a few meals.
For Selvaggio, the most enjoyable aspect of her role is "building a trusting relationship with our residents. Not only do I get to advocate for them, but I also feel as if I'm offering them a better quality of life."
Calvary Church is the managing agent for CRV. "We provide a board of directors to oversee financials, policies and procedures and deciding counsel for any resident issues or disputes," said Mobley. "Calvary is also contracted by CRV to provide maintenance and custodial services, IT support, billing and payroll operations. As the business administrator of Calvary Church, one of my duties is to provide supervision and oversight to the management of CRV. I assist with budget reviews, HR issues and support the manager with day-to-day decision making as needed.
"We have very dedicated, quality and fun-loving staff at CRV that I get to work with each week," Mobley added. "They make my job very easy." While CRV has four staff members, church and community volunteers help with various seasonal or holiday events throughout the year at CRV, along with its 11-member board.
"One of the things I enjoy when I go to CRV for meetings is seeing the residents sitting outside enjoying nice weather or gathering together in the common room" Mobley said. "Just being able to speak with them and see how much they enjoy living at CRV at this stage of their life is very gratifying. While the church built and oversees CRV, we have no requirements of faith for residents or mandate any involvement at Calvary. But we do have a number of residents who attend Calvary, and it is always a joy to see them at worship services or other church events. As people in our church grow older, many of them look forward to potentially moving into CRV."
Selvaggio relayed various comments from residents. "One stated she could not describe the vast difference between her last apartment and CRV. Another resident noted the importance of socialization. She plays on one of our four teams competing in the Wii Bowling National Senior League. They compete against other senior facilities around the U.S.
She said one married couple told her, "CRV is not dull, there's a lot happening. The staff is helpful. It's a safe place to live, and we like it here."
Janet Seitz is a local communications professional, writer and artist. To share your story, contact her at [email protected].
