(May 31, 2024) – The EveryAge Foundation honored longstanding Wilmington community advocate Linda Pearce with a named fund to recognize her 32 years of service as founder and executive director of Elderhaus. Going forward, the Elderhaus Campus Enrichment fund will be known as the Linda Pearce Campus Enrichment Fund for Elderhaus.
Pearce, who passed away on September 24, 2023, at the age of 77, was a prominent figure in a wide array of regional causes and organizations. Notably, she was the first African-American woman to serve as chair of the UNCW Board of Trustees. She was also heavily involved in many of Wilmington’s healthcare, faith-based, and community organizations, both as a leader and an advocate. In 2016, the City of Wilmington’s Commission on African-American History recognized Pearce as a “Living Legend” for her leadership, contributions, and accomplishments in improving the community.
Elderhaus’s Campus Enrichment Fund is designed to enhance life for everyone on campus through the sponsorship of programs, activities, and special projects. It is one of many funds managed by the EveryAge Foundation to support quality of life in EveryAge communities throughout North Carolina and in southeastern Virginia. This year, monies from the fund – in combination with a grant from the New Hanover Community Endowment – were used to purchase a van to transport Elderhaus participants from their homes to medical appointments and to the PACE Center.
Following the decision to rename the fund, the Rev. Larry Bolick, chair of the EveryAge Foundation Board of Trustees, noted, “Linda Pearce endorsed Elderhaus’s partnership with the North Carolina PACE Association, and she supported a partnership with EveryAge as the organization grew to care for more and more seniors in the Wilmington area. Her heart was dedicated to service, and we’re proud to honor her and her legacy by memorializing her through this fund that benefits the participants and staff of her beloved Elderhaus.”
The Rev. Dr. Thad Austin, vice-president of the EveryAge Foundation, concurred, stating, “The greater Wilmington community owes a great debt to Linda Pearce and her tireless advocacy for vulnerable seniors. She believed so thoroughly in the work of Elderhaus that she chose to leave a portion of her estate to support its mission. Linda’s gift is the single largest contribution to the Campus Enrichment Fund that Elderhaus has received to date, and it will make a transformative difference, not only in meeting the immediate needs of our day-to-day operations but in creating a perpetual endowment for years to come.”
To make a contribution in memory of Linda Pearce and to support the work of Elderhaus, visit the EveryAge Foundation website or give by mail (100 Leonard Ave, Newton, NC 28658). For questions or additional information, contact the Rev. Dr. Thad Austin at the EveryAge Foundation.
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About the EveryAge Foundation
The EveryAge Foundation uplifts people in need and provides funding for programs that enrich the lives of the entire EveryAge family, which includes three continuing care retirement communities, two PACE programs, a child-care ministry, a home care service, and seven affordable housing communities. In development are a third PACE program and a mid-range senior living complex. The Foundation grows and manages a variety of funds devoted to benevolence, innovation, campus enrichment, employee assistance, employee education, spiritual life, and more. For details, visit www.everyage.org/foundation.
About Elderhaus
Elderhaus opened its doors in October of 1981 and then opened the first PACE site in North Carolina in 2004. PACE (a Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly) is a provider-based health plan that supports participants in getting access to services they need without moving from their home. PACE programs provide comprehensive medical, preventative, and social services. PACE is supported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS). Elderhaus, which serves seniors who live in New Hanover County and portions of Brunswick County, became part of the EveryAge family of senior living programs and services in 2020. For details, visit www.elderhaus.com.
About EveryAge
EveryAge is an industry leader among not-for-profit senior living organizations, with 16 programs that serve more than 2,000 older adults in North Carolina and Virginia. Programs include continuing care retirement communities, affordable housing communities, adult day programs, and PACE (Programs of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly). As a faith-based organization incorporated in 1961, EveryAge maintains a commitment to seniors by offering lifestyle options that allow individuals to focus on what’s truly important and what matters most to them. For the fifth year in a row, EveryAge has been certified as a Great Place to Work™ Company. For details, visit www.everyage.org.