Carmel Foundation

The Carmel Foundation is a membership organization with over 3,400 members over 55 years of age. Our vision is to facilitate successful aging by providing a broad spectrum of interactive activities and services for the ever-changing physical, social, emotional and cognitive needs of our members. The founders of The Carmel Foundation valued their community, shared a deep appreciation for the growing needs of their fellow neighbors and recognized the necessity for a friendly, homelike place to meet. The purpose, then, as now, is to provide for successful aging by ensuring seniors can remain engaged with life and maintain their independence.

The Carmel Foundation's vision is to facilitate successful aging by providing a broad spectrum of in

Goal One: Holding true to our mission and vision and building on the work of the past 71 years, while also being relevant for the next generation.

Goal Two: To address the needs of a broader range of members, emphasizing enrichment and planning activities that optimize the quality of life in later years.

Goal Three: To grow income to cover operating expenses and continue to strengthen our financial position for the future.

While The Carmel Foundation consistently provides opportunities for its employees to grow, recently one of the directors was provided the opportunity to attend a local, year-long training program offered by a local organization called LEAD that builds and defines leadership skills in individuals. This investment not only benefitted the individual through the development of additional skills, but also benefitted the organization as these tangible skills could be applied in the workplace.

For more than 70 years, The Carmel Foundation has been an integral resource for seniors in our community. The Foundation was sparked from conversations held by several men and women who gathered to discuss ways to provide assistance to their aging neighbors. In 1950, The Carmel Foundation was born. Initial services were limited, but as the Foundation took root, the programs offered and the number of people assisted increased significantly. In 1952, the Town House was purchased to serve as a welcome center for anyone in need of companionship. At this time, classes, movies, lectures, concerts and a formal tea service were offered. Soon, a monthly potluck became a regular offering. Recognizing that not all were able to come onsite to enjoy good food, meal delivery to homebound seniors began along with our friendly visitor program. Ten years later, the Foundation acquired its first of several housing complexes enabling low-income housing to become available to 4 seniors in our community. A few years later, the Foundation purchased 2 additional buildings that provided 21 units of low-income housing. In the 1980’s, the Foundation built additional low-income housing, resulting in 24 additional apartments. In the 1990’s, the Blanchard House was purchased and the Computer Learning Center was established. As housing continued to be a challenge for seniors that struggle financially, in 2010 Trevvett Court was rebuilt from the ground up, increasing the Foundation’s total number of low-income apartments to 50. In 2016, the Foundation’s Technology Center was entirely recreated in response to the increasing role technology plays in our world. In 2019, our dining room, serving over 20,000 lunches annually, was completely refurbished to appeal to the Baby Boomer generation, encouraging seniors to enjoy good food while socializing with their peers. At this time, state-of-the-art audio visual equipment was installed for future programming.