The Cedars is delighted to announce that The Lunder Foundation – Peter and Paula Lunder Family has awarded a $500,000 grant toward The Cedars’ memory support programs serving older adults in Maine. In recognition of this gift, The Cedars will name the “Lunder Memory Care Household” for assisted living on the first floor of the newly constructed Sam L. Cohen Households, which will officially open in March 2021. The gift will create a permanent endowment to support the development and operation of the “Lunder Memory Support Programs” serving residents of The Cedars. Richard Borts, Chair of the Board of Trustees of The Cedars, remarked that “This wonderful investment from Paula and Peter Lunder and The Lunder Foundation is an affirmation of The Cedars’ leadership work in caring for the most vulnerable among us, and a direct result of creating the first Household Model in Maine and Northern New England serving...
At The Cedars, we learned early on that changes in the way healthcare is delivered during this pandemic needed to be immediately adopted to protect our staff and those we care for. Having closed our community to non-essential healthcare providers and limiting physician appointments to those deemed a medical necessity, The Cedars needed to find ways to continue to provide ongoing medical care and connection to outside care providers. In our efforts to reinvent our healthcare services, telehealth emerged as one of the major tools to deliver clinical services via telecommunications technology. Through our Telehealth Program, staff is able to easily coordinate medical care for our patients and residents with primary care and specialty physicians, clinics and services. Additionally, telehealth has been utilized for interdisciplinary team meetings. This program has assisted in maintaining continuity of healthcare to our patients and residents, avoiding additional negative consequences from delayed preventive, chronic...
Posted in our blog on by Tracy& filed under Giving.
Due to recent tax changes, nearly two-thirds of people who once itemized deductions no longer do so. However, if you are least 70½ and have an IRA, an excellent tax savings vehicle remains for gift giving. The tax law requires individuals who are at least 70½ to withdraw a certain amount every year and to pay income tax on it. This is called your required minimum distribution. A separate law, however, says that if you make direct charitable gifts from these IRAs, you do not need to show these distributions as income. Example: Bob has a required minimum distribution in 2019 of $4,000, which will be taxed as ordinary income. Instead of taking the distribution himself, Bob directs the plan administrator to distribute $1,000 directly to The Cedars and another $1,000 to a different charity. He receives the remaining $2,000 distribution himself. Bob must only show $2,000 in ordinary...
Posted in our blog on by Tracy& filed under Giving.
If you have a will or living trust, you have taken a major step in seeing to it that your property passes in an orderly, cost-effective way. However, these measures are only effective after you have passed away. It is vitally important that you also plan for those times you are incapable (or unwilling) to make decisions affecting your personal finances or health. A Durable Power of Attorney for finances gives another individual the authority to conduct financial transactions on your behalf. The power can be as broad or as narrow as you specify. It can also take effect immediately or be “springing” – taking effect in the future when health concerns merit it. The selection of the person given control over your finances is exceptionally important because all of your assets are literally at risk. Changes to powers of attorney can always be made so long as you...
In honor of Sam’s legacy, the Sam L. Cohen Foundation has made its largest gift ever—$1.5 million—to support building a brand-new Healthcare Center at The Cedars that will provide truly person-centered care. “Sam L. Cohen was, first and foremost, a people person. When the Foundation was first established, we researched the gifts Sam had made during his life,” explains Jeff Nathanson, President of the Sam L. Cohen Foundation. “Sam wasn’t here to tell us what he wanted and we hoped to discover what inspired his legendary, lifelong giving to guide us in our grant making. It quickly became very clear to us that Sam didn’t give to organizations or ideas. Sam gave to people.” SAM L. COHEN WAS THE LIFE OF the Jewish community of Biddeford, Maine. He was also its heart. More than ten years after his passing, his gregarious personality—and his generous philanthropy—remain legendary. The Sam L....
Posted in our blog on by Tracy& filed under Giving.
By Dan Hoebeke, Charitable Gift Planner Over the years, one question I have been asked frequently is whether a will needs to be renewed. The answer, though simple, leads to other questions. Once a will has been properly executed, it never technically expires. However, our individual circumstances and goals change over time. For that reason, wills should be reviewed periodically. If you answer “yes” to any of the following questions, you should take a fresh look at your will (or living trust). Have you moved to another state? Has an immediate family member died or become incapacitated? Have there been major life events among the people named in your will, such as marriage or divorce? Have you changed jobs or retired? Are all of your children now adults? Are the people given jobs in your will or trust still the best choice to perform those functions? Are there any...
Posted in our blog on by Tracy& filed under Giving.
You can do more than you ever thought possible. Planning your estate allows you to both fulfill obligations and make gifts. It’s called sequential planning. Many people begin by considering their obligations—commitments we have made to care for a spouse, children or other loved ones. Those are listed in your will or trust first. Astonishingly, our assets often allow those obligations to be met with money left over. Once that happens, everything we do with our property is really a gift. This is where The Cedars and other favorite charities come in. Your planned gift to The Cedars helps to provide the long-range stability that is simply not possible through annual giving. – Daniel Hoebeke, J.D., Charitable Gift Planner For more information on planned giving opportunities, please the Development Office at 207-221-7007 or...
Posted in our blog on by Tracy& filed under Giving.
Whether you are an avid gardener of simply water the plants in your window, you know that there are two kinds of flowers. “Annuals” are the ones you plant every year. They are beautiful and varied, but come autumn, they are used up. “Perennials” are those which, when planted once, reappear every year – a gentle reminder that some work pays off well into the future. Perennial gifts may also be called “planned gifts” and include such things as gifts from retirement accounts and will bequests. These gifts may require a little extra effort now, but they will continue to bloom well into the future. At The Cedars, those “extra effort” gifts provide a lasting legacy of compassionate care for our seniors. For more information on planned giving opportunities, please contact the Development Office at 207-221-7007 or...
Posted in our blog on by Tracy& filed under Featured, Giving.
The Cedars welcomed our community to join us in commemorating a powerful and pivotal moment in the Grow Bold With Us Campaign. THE DAY BEFORE the groundbreaking ceremony for the much-anticipated Sam L. Cohen Households, construction crews arrived at The Cedars to begin tearing down a building set on the corner of our campus, clearing the way for the construction to come. By the time honored guests, supporters, community members, staff, and residents arrived on September 21, enormous excavators surrounded the crisp white event tent. The air was charged with excitement, optimism, and change. After so much hope and hard work, the first senior living community to implement the Household Model in Maine and New England was about to be the first to construct a residence specifically designed to be a true home for seniors. CREATING HOME Long before The Cedars broke ground for this innovative new building, our...
The Cedars is delighted to announce that The Lunder Foundation – Peter and Paula Lunder Family has awarded a $500,000 grant toward The Cedars’ memory support programs serving older adults in Maine. In recognition of this gift, The Cedars will name the “Lunder Memory Care Household” for assisted living on the first floor of the newly constructed Sam L. Cohen Households, which will officially open in March 2021. The gift will create a permanent endowment to support the development and operation of the “Lunder Memory Support Programs” serving residents of The Cedars. Richard Borts, Chair of the Board of Trustees of The Cedars, remarked that “This wonderful investment from Paula and Peter Lunder and The Lunder Foundation is an affirmation of The Cedars’ leadership work in caring for the most vulnerable among us, and a direct result of creating the first Household Model in Maine and Northern New England serving...
At The Cedars, we learned early on that changes in the way healthcare is delivered during this pandemic needed to be immediately adopted to protect our staff and those we care for. Having closed our community to non-essential healthcare providers and limiting physician appointments to those deemed a medical necessity, The Cedars needed to find ways to continue to provide ongoing medical care and connection to outside care providers. In our efforts to reinvent our healthcare services, telehealth emerged as one of the major tools to deliver clinical services via telecommunications technology. Through our Telehealth Program, staff is able to easily coordinate medical care for our patients and residents with primary care and specialty physicians, clinics and services. Additionally, telehealth has been utilized for interdisciplinary team meetings. This program has assisted in maintaining continuity of healthcare to our patients and residents, avoiding additional negative consequences from delayed preventive, chronic...
Due to recent tax changes, nearly two-thirds of people who once itemized deductions no longer do so. However, if you are least 70½ and have an IRA, an excellent tax savings vehicle remains for gift giving. The tax law requires individuals who are at least 70½ to withdraw a certain amount every year and to pay income tax on it. This is called your required minimum distribution. A separate law, however, says that if you make direct charitable gifts from these IRAs, you do not need to show these distributions as income. Example: Bob has a required minimum distribution in 2019 of $4,000, which will be taxed as ordinary income. Instead of taking the distribution himself, Bob directs the plan administrator to distribute $1,000 directly to The Cedars and another $1,000 to a different charity. He receives the remaining $2,000 distribution himself. Bob must only show $2,000 in ordinary...
If you have a will or living trust, you have taken a major step in seeing to it that your property passes in an orderly, cost-effective way. However, these measures are only effective after you have passed away. It is vitally important that you also plan for those times you are incapable (or unwilling) to make decisions affecting your personal finances or health. A Durable Power of Attorney for finances gives another individual the authority to conduct financial transactions on your behalf. The power can be as broad or as narrow as you specify. It can also take effect immediately or be “springing” – taking effect in the future when health concerns merit it. The selection of the person given control over your finances is exceptionally important because all of your assets are literally at risk. Changes to powers of attorney can always be made so long as you...
In honor of Sam’s legacy, the Sam L. Cohen Foundation has made its largest gift ever—$1.5 million—to support building a brand-new Healthcare Center at The Cedars that will provide truly person-centered care. “Sam L. Cohen was, first and foremost, a people person. When the Foundation was first established, we researched the gifts Sam had made during his life,” explains Jeff Nathanson, President of the Sam L. Cohen Foundation. “Sam wasn’t here to tell us what he wanted and we hoped to discover what inspired his legendary, lifelong giving to guide us in our grant making. It quickly became very clear to us that Sam didn’t give to organizations or ideas. Sam gave to people.” SAM L. COHEN WAS THE LIFE OF the Jewish community of Biddeford, Maine. He was also its heart. More than ten years after his passing, his gregarious personality—and his generous philanthropy—remain legendary. The Sam L....
By Dan Hoebeke, Charitable Gift Planner Over the years, one question I have been asked frequently is whether a will needs to be renewed. The answer, though simple, leads to other questions. Once a will has been properly executed, it never technically expires. However, our individual circumstances and goals change over time. For that reason, wills should be reviewed periodically. If you answer “yes” to any of the following questions, you should take a fresh look at your will (or living trust). Have you moved to another state? Has an immediate family member died or become incapacitated? Have there been major life events among the people named in your will, such as marriage or divorce? Have you changed jobs or retired? Are all of your children now adults? Are the people given jobs in your will or trust still the best choice to perform those functions? Are there any...
You can do more than you ever thought possible. Planning your estate allows you to both fulfill obligations and make gifts. It’s called sequential planning. Many people begin by considering their obligations—commitments we have made to care for a spouse, children or other loved ones. Those are listed in your will or trust first. Astonishingly, our assets often allow those obligations to be met with money left over. Once that happens, everything we do with our property is really a gift. This is where The Cedars and other favorite charities come in. Your planned gift to The Cedars helps to provide the long-range stability that is simply not possible through annual giving. – Daniel Hoebeke, J.D., Charitable Gift Planner For more information on planned giving opportunities, please the Development Office at 207-221-7007 or...
Whether you are an avid gardener of simply water the plants in your window, you know that there are two kinds of flowers. “Annuals” are the ones you plant every year. They are beautiful and varied, but come autumn, they are used up. “Perennials” are those which, when planted once, reappear every year – a gentle reminder that some work pays off well into the future. Perennial gifts may also be called “planned gifts” and include such things as gifts from retirement accounts and will bequests. These gifts may require a little extra effort now, but they will continue to bloom well into the future. At The Cedars, those “extra effort” gifts provide a lasting legacy of compassionate care for our seniors. For more information on planned giving opportunities, please contact the Development Office at 207-221-7007 or...
The Cedars welcomed our community to join us in commemorating a powerful and pivotal moment in the Grow Bold With Us Campaign. THE DAY BEFORE the groundbreaking ceremony for the much-anticipated Sam L. Cohen Households, construction crews arrived at The Cedars to begin tearing down a building set on the corner of our campus, clearing the way for the construction to come. By the time honored guests, supporters, community members, staff, and residents arrived on September 21, enormous excavators surrounded the crisp white event tent. The air was charged with excitement, optimism, and change. After so much hope and hard work, the first senior living community to implement the Household Model in Maine and New England was about to be the first to construct a residence specifically designed to be a true home for seniors. CREATING HOME Long before The Cedars broke ground for this innovative new building, our...