Heritage Community of Kalamazoo is a vibrant community of older adults that is rooted in a 60-year tradition of generations caring for one another.
Over the years, we have grown to include six facilities designed to meet the vastly different needs of Kalamazoo's older adults:
Still led by a volunteer board of directors, Heritage Community of Kalamazoo is the oldest and only locally governed nonprofit senior housing community in Kalamazoo. Today, Heritage Community of Kalamazoo continues to be an innovator in customer-focused care for older adults in the Kalamazoo community. We are an organization of people who celebrate life and honor the soul: a continuum of caring.
View our timeline below or read HCK's full history here (pdf)!
| Year | Action |
|---|---|
| 1944 | Then Kalamazoo Mayor, Louis Sutherland, sought suitable housing for his frail and aging mother. Realizing options were slim, he created the "Committee to Care for the Ill and Aging" in order to improve Kalamazoo's system for senior care. |
| 1945 | The Committee to Care for the Ill and Aging merged with another Kalamazoo-based organization known as the People's Fund, Inc., whose mission was to "foster interest in and to secure assistance for the aged and chronically ill." |
| 1947 | The Committee invited Dr. Richard Light, a prominent local physician, to share information he'd learned about a Swedish organization called the Flower Fund. The Committee was impressed and began their own known as the "Senior Citizens Fund" to provide a living memorial and support the efforts of the Committee. Elsa Krum became the first employee of the Senior Citizens Fund. |
| 1952 | After raising adequate funds, the Senior Citizens Fund purchased the Merrill Home to accommodate 18 residents. |
| 1955 | Merrill Home was reconstruction to hold 85 individual apartments for active seniors. |
| 1964 | 25 acres on Portage Street were purchased and the construction of the 130 bed nursing home began; named in honor of Harold and Grace Upjohn after a generous gift was donated. |
| 1974 | The Golden Age Non-Profit Housing Corporation was established and two new facilities were built at Portage Street; the first was Directors Hall, a 99-bed assisted living facility; the second was Heritage Hills, a 73-unit independent living apartment complex. |
| 1979 | Continuing to grow with strong demand, Westland Meadows, a 150-unit independent living apartment was constructed. This property was later sold in 2007. |
| 1987 | The Committee officially changed its name to Heritage Community of Kalamazoo (HCK) and all facilities were brought under the HCK umbrella for management and operation. |
| 1990 | Wyndham Retirement Apartments, a 90-unit luxury independent living apartment complex, was added to the Portage Street campus. |
| 1995 | The success of Wyndham spawned the planning efforts to better meet the needs of people with cognitive and other physical impairments, requiring a different environment and care program approach. |
| 1997 | HCK Campus Master Plan called for the development of two new Assisted Living facilities, including a Dementia Unit in the Upjohn Nursing Center and an expanded rehabilitation area. |
| 1999 | HCK Board of Directors approved the construction of two new assisted living facilities: Amber Way, a 20-bed center for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and other dementia related disorders, and Wyndham West, a 29-unit upscale assisted living complex. Both opened in 2001. |