From the January 28, 2004 edition of The Northeast News Gleaner Deer Meadows kicks off year-long anniversary celebration By Tracey Romano Correspondent What do football and Deer Meadows Retirement Community have in common? They are both Philadelphia traditions. Deer Meadows Retirement Community has been a part of Philadelphia since its founding in West Philadelphia in 1869. To commemorate its anniversary, it kicked off a year-long celebration with an Eagles pep rally on Friday, January 16. Although the Eagles didn’t make it to Sunday’s Super Bowl, the residents and their families had a lot of fun cheering them on. The kickoff party included lots of Philly favorites, like soft pretzels and Tasty Kakes. “We wanted to have a Taste of Philly night,” said Liz Harbison, Director of Public Relations and Marketing. From now until the official 136th anniversary celebration on September 14, Deer Meadows will have monthly giveaways for visitors of the community. For February, they will give away hearts to the first 136 visitors and in March they will give away shamrocks. Deer Meadows Retirement Community, formerly known as the Baptist Home, was founded by a Baptist Deacon for the widows of Baptist ministers. “We are so much more than that now,” said Harbison. “We are a state-of-the-art retirement community.” Today, Deer Meadows offers independent living apartments, assisted living and nursing care for all seniors. It also offers intensive rehabilitation not only for its residents, but also for people in the neighborhood who need therapy for just a few seeks. “ We encourage people to consider communities like ours when they can still live independently so when a crisis does occur, they don’t have to make hard decisions in a hurry. They will have everything they need right here,” Harbison said. Aging today is much different than it was for earlier generations and Deer Meadows has tried to adapt to meet the needs of a group of seniors who will live longer and most often be more active than their parents’ generation. “People don’t come here to die, but to start a new part of their lives,” Harbison said. “The residents are always involved in different activities every day. They are more active than I am.” Located at 8301 Roosevelt Blvd, Deer Meadows has been a part of the Northeast for years since it moved from North Philadelphia, its second home. “ Many times, seniors have lived in the city their whole lives feel they need to look outside Philadelphia for a retirement community. We want them to know they can live here in Philadelphia where their hearts are,” Harbison said.