From vision to community: the spirit of care and connection at Spring Lake Village

“One person can effect change, and many people together can change the world.” Such was the belief of Reverend Darby Betts, the founding executive director of one of Front Porch’s predecessor organizations, Episcopal Senior Communities. In the early 1960s, Rev. Betts envisioned an organization of communities serving older adults, and with a gift of land near Monterey, ESC’s first community, Canterbury Woods, was established. In 1986, in keeping with Rev. Betts’ vision and leadership, Spring Lake Village opened in Santa Rosa. Rev. Betts planned to retire to Spring Lake Village and designed many of the community’s features accordingly. He and his wife Elaine helped create a community with a culture of camaraderie, elegance and warmth, and their example of leadership showed that many people together have the ability to continue to improve their community.

Resident leadership at Spring Lake Village has always been at the forefront of positive change for their community, and leadership in philanthropy has played a role in many of the initiatives undertaken to improve the lives of residents both at Spring Lake Village and at communities across Front Porch. While resident assistance has always been a core focus of fundraising for all Front Porch communities, the idea of the Circle of Friends as a unifying force to support this effort was born at Spring Lake Village from a group of friends who came together to raise money to support the fund, which is now called the Circle of Friends fund at all Front Porch communities.

Beth Vergin is one of the founding members of the Circle of Friends committee at Spring Lake Village. When asked what inspired this idea, she shared “Home is the place where, when you have to go there / they must take you in.” (Line from the 1915 Robert Frost Poem, The Death of the Hired Man).

“To my mind, the existence of continued care is what makes the difference between a place and a home,” Beth reflected. “Finding a home to age with dignity and continued personal growth is not just a search for a place, but also the search for a feeling of home. The concept and the resources of Circle of Friends send a reassuring message about Spring Lake Village as a true home, knowing that no matter what happens, one will be able to stay and be cared for.”

Spring Lake Village residents have long supported community improvements dear to their hearts with gifts through the Front Porch Communities Foundation. After a stay in the Health Care Center, one resident in 2015 made a significant gift to replace all the Center’s bedside televisions with state-of-the-art digital models with ports to plug in headphones and media players. “The screen in my room was hard to see, and I had a hard time hearing my program. I wondered if others might feel the same way. I had the means to make a gift to improve my community,” she noted at the time. “I’m happy this will make a stay in the Center a bit easier for everyone.”

The SLV Classical Music Fund is another way residents have impacted their community through their giving. The Classical Music program at Spring Lake Village was started by resident Bob Hayden and is now managed by residents Barbara Riley and Sally Heath. In 2016, through donations to the SLV Classical Music Fund administered by the Foundation, music aficionados raised money for a new performance-quality grand piano, allowing the community to attract world-class musicians.

“About 20 years ago, Bob invited a prominent musician to play, and they declined due to the condition of the piano,” Barbara remembered. “Working with the Foundation, Spring Lake Village residents raised enough money to purchase a new piano with enough left over to continue to enhance the quality of the performances going forward. It is a beloved part of the community, and residents continue to support the fund generously.”

Other projects like the dog park, the labyrinth and the bocce courts that were all made possible or improved by resident gifts through the Foundation reflect the spirit and the personality of the community. Resident gifts improve the community now and for future residents.

Spring Lake Village was born from the dream of one person, but over the years, the energy and generosity of many people have made this community what it is today. Each generation of residents has brought new ideas and a commitment to improving life for one another, helping to preserve the spirit of warmth and support that Reverend Betts envisioned. The collective efforts of all residents have transformed Spring Lake Village into a place that truly feels like home, where each person’s contributions leave a lasting impact for all who will follow.

Originally published in the Winter 2025 edition of Community Matters