Aegis Living Donates $1 Million to Plymouth Housing

June 18, 2019

BELLEVUE, WA–Aegis Living, a national leader in senior assisted living and memory care, announced it is donating $1 million to Plymouth Housing, a not-for-profit housing agency, to support those experiencing chronic homelessness. The contribution to the Plymouth Housing PROOF capital campaign is the largest donation in Aegis Living’s history. Funds will be used to develop new permanent housing and enhance essential community support and services for Plymouth Housing residents.

“Housing is our most cost-effective solution for tackling chronic homelessness in our area,” said Paul Lambros, CEO for Plymouth Housing. “With generous gifts from organizations like Aegis Living, we are on track to dramatically reduce the gap between available housing and those who need it most. And we will have the ability to build out the wrap-around care and support needed to support residents and help them thrive well into the future.”

In addition to financial contributions, Aegis Living has committed to lending expertise garnered over the last 22 years of caring for older adults to enhance training and support for Plymouth Housing residents, caregivers and volunteer staff. While Plymouth Housing works with adult residents of all ages, many of these individuals are seniors and veterans who may experience disabilities, mental health challenges, dementia, substance-use conditions and more.

Aegis Living will facilitate regular workshops covering a variety of topics, including overall health and safety best practices for an aging population and caring for those living with mental and/or physical challenges.

“For more than 20 years, we’ve had the incredible privilege of caring for people during this special stage of their lives,” said Kris Engskov, President of Aegis Living. “We are proud to partner with Plymouth Housing and lend our expertise to help area seniors facing homelessness receive the support they need and ensure they have every opportunity to thrive – physically, mentally and emotionally.”

An ongoing challenge for aging adults, especially those overcoming homelessness and hardship is social isolation. Aegis Living will also work alongside Plymouth Housing to develop activities for residents to help create a sense of community and belonging, something Aegis Living does every day across its 31 assisted living and memory care communities. The organization strives to create community and full lives for its residents through fun and engaging activities and events – from music, cooking and yoga classes to movie nights and family socials, volunteer activities and more.

“The first step to a happy, healthy life is achieving the stability and security of long-term housing and care, but our work can’t stop there,” said Dwayne Clark, Founder and CEO of Aegis Living. “We must give people the opportunity to come alive and thrive through a sense of community and empowerment. We have done this at Aegis Living and hope to do the same for those at Plymouth Housing.”

Aegis Living has a long history of giving back within the community at large and among its community of caregivers and staff. Aegis Living established the Potato Soup Foundation to help staff and their families in extreme times of need. The foundation has helped hundreds of staff over the years with emergency medical treatment, emergency housing, funeral expenses and a variety of other crisis situations. Aegis Living also supports such organizations as the Alzheimer’s Association, American Diabetes Association, FareStart, Sound Generations, Rainier Scholars, among others through financial contributions and volunteering.

“Every day, we have the opportunity to touch the lives of those at Aegis Living and beyond,” said Clark. “Finding ways to make an impact – big and small – is at the heart of our organization. It’s what makes us tick.”

Aegis Living is a national leader in assisted living and memory care with a simple philosophy: make every day count. With more than 20 years of experience, it is known for its employee-centric company culture, unique point of view and eye for innovation.

The privately-held company is headquartered in Bellevue and operates 31 communities in Washington, California and Nevada, with 7 additional communities in development. Aegis Living has been honored as a Top 50 Best Places to Work by Glassdoor.com’s Employee Choice Award, Best Place to Work in Western Washington by KING5 (NBC), Best Assisted Living by Seattle Business magazine and Best Family Owned Business and Corporate Philanthropists by Puget Sound Business Journal. 

Plymouth Housing’s mission is to eliminate homelessness and address its causes by preserving, developing and operating safe, quality, supportive housing and by providing adults experiencing homelessness with opportunities to stabilize and improve their lives.