ARTICLE COURTESY OF AVALON VILLAGE
DO YOU EVER WONDER how your later years will turn out? Where will you be? What will you be engaged in? Sometimes, opening one door will open many others. At Avalon Village in Hampden, we believe that the simple act of choosing Avalon Village as a home community has opened many doors that our residents weren’t aware of before they moved in. Avalon Management’s philosophy of ensuring that there are ample opportunities for the community to be both physically and socially active is one way that new doors are opened. Activities such as Yoga, Tai Chi, Strong for Life, and bocce are offered on a regular basis. Walking opportunities are available across Avalon’s 60 acres as well! We believe that remaining physically active, even with gentle but regular exercise, will help to ensure that folks who choose a cottage at Avalon will remain independent. The physical and emotional benefits of exercise are by now well documented and, if the benefits of exercise could be captured in pill, every American would undoubtedly be taking it. Our community encourages the active choice at every opportunity.
The highly cited Harvard Study of Adult Development, in analyzing individuals over an eighty-year span, found that the happiest individuals were those who had good relationships in their lives. Good relationships not only protect our bodies but also our brains. At Avalon Village we recognize that you could purchase the most exquisite home but, if the relationships within the community aren’t nurtured, the life experience will not be all that it can or should be. Accordingly, regular social events are scheduled to accommodate a wide variety of interests — monthly wine and cheese socials, ladies’ lunches, first Friday of the month dinners, pub nights, visiting speakers, as well as various other themed luncheons and dinners throughout the year.
Participation in one of Avalon Village Owners Association’s standing committees or on the Board of Directors offers the chance to build and nourish quality relationships. At Avalon Village, our neighbors really matter!
The third critical element in our community philosophy is a deep connection with nature. Avalon Village is blessed with one of the most exquisite natural settings of any retirement community in the northeast. Its central building sits on a high bluff above the Penobscot River and its sixty acres contain a spectacular stand of white pine over a hundred years old. Almost all our residents express a love for the natural world and our walking paths offer many opportunities to experience the magic of the site. Many of our residents take advantage of the raised vegetable beds that are made available for any interested resident and a drive through our community will reveal the extraordinary gardening skills that many of our residents possess as Avalon Village permits individual modification of vegetative cottage plantings. Avalon Village’s pond has been designated by the National Wildlife Federation as a certified wildlife habitat area.
Anyone wishing to open a new door and find out more about Avalon’s cottages or its apartments can call 862-5100 during the week to arrange a tour.
