We plan that the Lambda Retirement Community, Inc. will be a showcase of how a diverse group can create a place and space where growing old is fun, exciting and full of life and hope. Seniors in the US face an increasingly costly and institutionalized retirement. A variety of reasons can be enumerated but the critical issue is to create and evaluate options that allow individual senior men to maintain and improve their quality of life. These considerations include more efficiencies of living to reduce costs; a daily life that is both interesting and healthy; and, a life style consistent with those life long values of comfort, safety and physical and mental health.

We anticipate that some of the issues facing the community might be of interest to philanthropic agencies interested in helping communities explore different ways to meet the needs of seniors. The optimum use of “green” approaches could benefit from one-time development funds. Education to both prepare for and manage declining health issues might benefit from creating Internet formal courses. Bulk purchasing methods could be explored both for the LRC, Inc. specifically and as models to reduce costs in other retirement communities. Various ways to contract for group health services need to be explored both to eliminate transportation needs and to increase the quality and effectiveness of senior health care.

Of paramount importance however, is the creation of a community of people where individuals live in joy and harmony; where diversity is accepted and embraced; where the demonstration of love and sharing is common and where caring for each other is the norm. Members of the community will vary in many ways and it is this diversity that will enrich the lives of all and make retirement an exciting and wonder filled experience.