It makes perfect sense that James Evans’ life is filled with dogs. Guapo, a German Shepherd, and Rocky, an American Akita, occupy a lot of space in his Rodgers Forge home with their (big) personalities, (big) beds, (big) crates, and (big) appetites.

“I’ve been an insane dog lover and pet lover for as long as I can remember,” says Evans, the founder and chief executive officer of Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity (CARE), who grew up in Park Heights and attended Baltimore School for the Arts.

And while it seems Evans was destined for a career that involved animals, his schooling drew him into a more creative field, landing a job at illume, a marketing
and communications firm, where he produced design work for Timberland, Safe Streets Baltimore, Kennedy Krieger Institute, and the NAACP, among many others. After the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) asked his team to put together a spay/neuter campaign post-Hurricane Katrina, the lightbulb moment came when he started noticing systematic inequity in pet ownership.

“There were no people of color that were part of the system,” says Evans. “No one of color leading national animal welfare organizations, animal control policies, or shelters.”

This was especially concerning since “animal control then and now targets brown and Black communities.”

The marketing campaign he did in New Orleans led to HSUS creating Pets for Life, a spay/neuter program that also supplies pet food, vaccinations, and other animal resources for pet owners in underserved communities. Thanks to grants and donors, Pets for Life has performed more than 100,000 free spay/neuter surgeries.

Evans and his team—mostly made up of people of color—felt proud of the program that they had played such a large role in creating, but ultimately HSUS decided to run the program internally.

Life returned to normal for Evans until 2019 when a woman named Chetana Mirle reached out. She explained that she was the program director for The Life of Riley, a group that advances animal welfare by investing in diverse leadership and community-driven solutions. “And she said, ‘You know, there are a great many people in animal welfare who said I should speak to you because I’m interested in finding someone who can bring more BIPOC people to the field.’”

Mirle told Evans she’d often find herself in rooms without any other BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) colleagues and she started wondering why that was. Evans empathized but figured that was the extent of the call.

“I wasn’t upset with her,” he says. “I was upset with the idea that we keep talking about inclusion, but no one was really doing anything about it, which is what I told her.”

Mirle took the conversation to heart and told Evans she understood it required money—and a plan. “Write up a proposal,” she told him. Evans and his wife, Jennifer, formerly an art director and creative producer, now chief operating officer at CARE, got to work.

“We were laughing our asses off,” says Evans at the freedom of creating a dream proposal with no restrictions. “We want to have research, we want to have a narrative department, we want to do all these amazing things to retell the story [of Black pet ownership] and bring all these BIPOC people to this incredibly white and biased field.”

They figured it would cost somewhere in the half a million-dollar range. They put their dreams into an email and hit send.

Much to their surprise Mirle—and the foundation she works for—said yes.

CARE became a BIPOC-led organization that amplifies brown, Black, and other marginalized voices, with a focus not just on the pet, but on their owners. Most animal welfare groups are focused solely on animal neglect or cruelty, which makes up a very small percentage of pet problems. Evans says it’s because they don’t want to focus on the biggest challenge of animal ownership, which is poverty. And that poverty should not be a deterrent to pet ownership. Quite the contrary—pet ownership is known to alleviate stress, which is particularly needed in under-resourced communities.

“They’re good for us, they’re good in every possible way. And their good far outweighs the cost that comes with them,” says Evans. “But when you’re talking about truly marginalized communities, cost becomes a barrier.”

So CARE goes where the need is—raising funds for preventative veterinary care and assisting other organizations that serve those communities. That’s just one part of what CARE, the first national animal welfare organization of color in the United States, focuses on.

“Everything that’s involved with animal welfare is almost entirely white,” says Evans. “All the policies around animal control, animal protection, spay/neuter laws, breed specific legislation, home insurance—all of these animal welfare policies negatively affect brown and Black people, especially in marginalized communities.”

For example, Evans says the homeowner’s insurance in his Towson neighborhood allows him to keep his German Shepherd, Guapo, but Guapo wouldn’t be permitted in the neighborhood where Evans grew up because there are breed restrictions tied to certain areas. Code specific policies like that are steeped in prejudice and bias, he says.

CARE has an Environmental Justice and Policy arm led by policy expert Akisha Townsend Eaton who is working on these very issues. “We’re creating a space where passionate animal owners and practitioners and advocates, dog trainers, groomers, all of these folks are welcome into this space without fear that they’re going to be judged just for their physical presence,” says Evans.

He also references pet retail—a $100 billion industry. People of color don’t even own one percent of that field, says Evans. The same goes for veterinarians. There are 60,000 small animal veterinarians—and, according to Evans, less than two percent are Black. So CARE has a scholarship to fund Black veterinarians attending school.

“This year, we raised $130,000 for Tuskegee students, [a historically black college and university] with the most Black veterinary students enrolled in the country.”

Evans is a talker. He loves to pontificate about weighty topics. He’ll talk racism and the caste system, collective power, skin color, reciprocity, the roots of slavery, and white dominant spaces. As a Black man, despite everything he’s experienced and witnessed, he’s not bitter—it’s just fueled him to do more.

“CARE is not just a nonprofit—we are a nonprofit that starts nonprofits,” says Evans. They’ve funded over 15 new organizations—many existing in some of the most underserved communities in the United States. Evans says that is how he measures the success of CARE—by watching people who are commonly rejected from the system come into their own. “They blossom inside of this protective unit that we’ve created. We’ve got unbelievably brilliant folks with tattoos on their necks and long earrings or hoops and we engage with them, and they can be their full selves. These are people that cannot get shelter jobs, cannot get jobs
cleaning up poop, cleaning kennels, but now they’re executive directors of their own organizations.”

Mary Ippoliti-Smith, a member of the executive leadership team for Maddie’s Fund, a foundation that has awarded over $265 million in grants, including many of Evans’ missions, sees that firsthand.

“CARE has provided a safe and thriving haven for passionate activists and deep thinkers focused on better outcomes for people and pets,” she says. “The organization is unique in that they are not attempting to do the work best done by those directly impacted by inequities. They are, however, creating resources and opportunities for marginalized people to rebuild their own communities.”

Ippoliti-Smith says it’s impossible to overstate what a significant impact CARE has had. “CARE has indelibly changed the face of the animal welfare industry by bringing diverse voices to this sector and advocating for a more inclusive path to pet adoption,” she continues.

Alexandre Contreras, the founder and president of PetTrio Charity in south Florida, is what’s called a proximate leader, a term used for leadership that reflects the identity of the people they serve. He has a gregarious spirit and a passion for animals that he shows by working as a vet tech, speaking to Miami Dade public school students about careers in veterinary medicine, and constantly thinking how to better improve the pet industry. That includes inventing the KlipTrio, a 3-in-1 pet nail clipper. CARE was his first investor, and because of them he was able to hire lawyers to have his product patented.

Through his charity, also supported by CARE, Contreras has been able to help people who can’t afford treatment for their pets. Recently that included someone who came into the vet clinic where he works. Seeing the reaction of pet owners in real time was life affirming.

“This is what philanthropy feels like,” says Contreras, who has made it his mission to help as many folks as he can, “doing something and wanting nothing in return. It’s so soothing to the soul.”

Many of the people now emerging as leaders in the animal welfare arena look like the same people Evans grew up with who were often simply judged by their appearances, something Evans has experienced himself as a Black man.

Time and time again it’s been proven “you can’t show up at work as your full brown, urban, whatever self,” says Evans. “And so, we’re creating a space where people can speak in the accent of their choice, they can be their whole selves, and they can help animals because animals don’t care.” He pauses. “And that is the beautiful part of it. There’s no animal starving on the street that cares whether or not a woman with big earrings and long fingernails is the one who is feeding them.”

Are you thinking about your next move? Maybe you’re empty nesters and you hardly use half the rooms in your house. Maybe you want to move, but not too far from your kids and grandchildren. Or maybe you’re thinking ahead and want a place that offers independent living with more care in the future. Luckily our area offers plenty of choices.

Purchasing A CCRC
Former astronaut 75-year-old Mary Cleave had a very exciting career. She went into space twice on Atlantis, and worked at NASA-Goddard and NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. “When I went to work at Goddard, my cousin suggested I move to Annapolis,” she says. Cleave lived in her house for 30 years. “I would have kept living there, but one night my hearing aids were out when the low battery on the fire alarm kept beeping, and I never heard it. My sister happened to be visiting and said, ‘You can’t live alone anymore, it isn’t safe.’”

“Since I love the water, I knew I wanted to stay in Annapolis,” she continues. After visiting several communities and talking to people at each, Cleave decided on Bay-Woods of Annapolis, a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC).

“In the morning I sit and watch the sunrise over the Bay Bridge. . .”

Cleave moved in 2017. What attracted her to BayWoods is that it is a resident-owned-and-run co-operative community where residents provide vital input on operations. (In Maryland there are only two co-op CCRCs.) Also a must for Cleave was that it was pet-friendly. “I think for people who live alone, a pet is very important,” says Cleave, who lives with her dog Brinx.

“In the morning I sit and watch the sunrise over the Bay Bridge,” says Cleave, who has a one-bedroom with a patio. “It’s a great way to start the day.” Although downsizing can be difficult, Cleave found getting rid of a lot of her stuff to be liberating. And when she has company, she reserves a guestroom at BayWoods.

Elizabeth O’Conner, director of marketing and sales at Blakehurst, says, “Today’s residents are very active.” A gym is a must-have, and many CCRCs have more than equipment and classes. They may offer trainers, indoor pools, hot tubs, steam rooms, walking trails, a putting green—even gardens where residents can grow flowers and vegetables.

BayWoods has plenty of activities and amenities, some unique to that community, such as swimming in the bay off their dock. Cleave says, “With the gym right here, I take classes three times a week and do tai chi once a week. And Brinx, my ‘trainer,’ makes sure we get out and walk,” laughs Cleave.

Is a CCRC Right For You?
A CCRC is a type of retirement community that is part independent living, part assisted living, and part skilled nursing home. Today, many communities offer memory care too, and on-site rehabilitation therapy. According to AARP, a CCRC offers a tiered approach to the aging process, accommodating residents’ changing needs. Upon entering, healthy adults can reside independently in single-family homes, apartments, or condominiums. When assistance with everyday activities becomes necessary, they can move into assisted living, memory care, or nursing care facilities. These communities give older adults the option to live in one location for the duration of their lives, with much of their future care already figured out.

“I came in needing a walker, graduated to a cane and, thanks to the in-house physical therapy, I now need nothing.”

When you choose a facility, it’s also important to know what type of contract it offers. These contracts can be very complex; treat this decision like you would any major investment, including seeking assistance from a lawyer or someone very knowledgeable. In addition, you should determine that the finances of the CCRC are healthy so that your present and future services are safeguarded.

Ray, 83, and Phoebe Sachs, 80, are no strangers to moving. “We’ve lived in New York, Chicago, Delaware, D.C., and moved about 10 or 12, times,” says Ray. While living in a Baltimore condo, with their three children living all over the country, the couple decided a CCRC would give them the future security they wanted. Their children agreed.

“We are very active and decided we’d make the move while we could participate in the activities and be part of the community,” says Ray. After checking out several CCRCs, they chose Blakehurst. “It had what we wanted—care if we need it, attractive surroundings, lots of activities including woodworking (where my wife is the only woman), walking trails, and we were able to make changes to the apartment.”

Making changes was very important to Phoebe, who was a builder and does interior design. “We made our second bedroom into a library and totally redid the kitchen,” she says. “We can cook, but they do such a remarkable job with the food and it’s so convenient, we don’t.”

“Our new appliances aren’t getting much of a workout,” admits Ray.

Typically, residents in independent living get at least one meal a day. In assisted living, memory care, and nursing, there are three meals provided. “At BayWoods the food is fabulous and healthy,” says Cleave. “I’m eating better than I ever did. And I don’t have to think about what I’m going to make for dinner, shop for it, and cook it.” Many CCRCs offer a variety of dining options beyond a dining room, including informal choices such as a café, bistro, deli, or pub. Some even have outdoor dining.

A Rental CCRC
Kathryn Lewis, age 72 and retired from working for the State of Maryland, was living with her son and his family. But after she had a knee replacement and ended up in rehab, she knew she could not return to her son’s house and its stairs. “The staff at the rehab facility suggested I consider moving to the Atrium Village in Owings Mills,” she says. Lewis moved there in 2021.

“I came in needing a walker, graduated to a cane and, thanks to the in-house physical therapy, I now need nothing. What was so great was that I didn’t need to leave Atrium Village and didn’t need family to take me to therapy,” says Lewis. As an ordained minister, Lewis loves volunteering at Atrium Village and doing activities: Bible study, choir, trivia, happy hour, movies, games, discussions, and exercise classes including Zumba and yoga.

At Atrium Village there are no entry or buy-in fees, or a commitment of retirement assets, as with most senior living communities. The cost of an apartment, dining options, all activities, fitness, housekeeping, and other services is included in a monthly lease.

Atrium Village has independent, assisted, and memory care. And it just underwent a $13 million renovation. Angela Spence, senior divisional director of sales and marketing for Senior Lifestyle, the company that manages Atrium Village, was involved in the renovation. According to Spence, the multimillion-dollar renovation is part of a 20-year anniversary transformation to create a next generation senior living experience.

“There are still some people who think of senior living communities as nursing homes. We need to overcome that stigma. Since COVID and with the renovation, our goal is to have programs that help residents get back into life and find a purpose. Living well is all about having a purpose,” says Spence.

Anyone visiting many of today’s CCRCs would never think of them as nursing homes. Many who live there say it’s like living on a cruise ship; it just doesn’t move.

Part of the renovation at Atrium Village included an array of new services and upscale amenities. In addition to two restaurant-style dining venues, there are two new bistros, a library, wellness center, salon, art studio, hospitality lounge, movie theater, and family center.

Happy hour is also big at many CCRCs. Spence says, “We added more happy hours after the residents requested them.”

Many of the CCRCs have continuing education. At BayWoods there are lectures given by neighboring St. John’s College scholars. Atrium Village partners with the Community College of Baltimore County to offer instructor-led classes.

CCRCs arrange trips, art classes and, yes, the list of activities and amenities goes on and on. But don’t worry, you can be as active as you want, or if you prefer a quieter experience, you can have that too. It’s all up to you.

An Over-55 Community
The Weidmans, Hope, 70, and Tim, 69, were no strangers to life at a 55-and-over community. They had lived in one in New Jersey for seven years and loved it. “When I retired after 38 years of teaching, we decided to move to a place that would be fun. A 55-and-over community fits the bill,” says Hope.

But trips to visit their son and his family in Virgina became too much. “So we started looking. We checked out Delaware, Virginia, and Maryland. When we visited Four Seasons on Kent Island it was everything we wanted.” There were single-family units and condos, walking trails, a pool, pickleball, and, best of all, there were other people their age for socializing. The Weidmans moved into a two-bedroom, two-and-half-bath home with a den and screened-in porch in 2021.

According to Veronica Lawson, an associate broker at Real Broker, LLC, these communities are ready-made for like-minded individuals for whom physical and emotional well-being are key.
Things like social activities and planned trips to local events create a strong sense of community that in turn create a fun and safe environment. Fifty-five-plus communities are becoming more and more popular as many healthy retirees look for active communities once retired.

And for some, buying before they retire is part of their long-range retirement plan. That was true for Gamini Dharmasena, 62, and his wife Desilva, 59, both scientists living in New Jersey. “We aren’t planning to retire for five years but thought prices would only keep going up. For my wife, who grew up in Sri Lanka, being by the water was a must. We checked out several places on the East Coast but were afraid of hurricanes in North Carolina,” says Gamini.

After filling out information online for Four Season on Kent Island, they got a call from a realtor. They visited and fell in love with the area and were attracted to a 55-plus active community with lots of activities and opportunities to be social.

The Dharmasenas purchased a single family, 3,500-square-foot home with the master bedroom on the first floor and a screened-in porch. It backs on trees and is a five-minute walk to the water. “Our 5,000-square-foot home on five acres is a lot to look after. When we retire, we’ll be ready to downsize,” says Gamini. Plus, they love to travel and won’t have to worry about the house. For now, the Dharmasenas plan to use it as a vacation home twice a month until it becomes their permanent home.

 

To learn more about retirement options check out these helpful websites:
• aging.maryland.gov
• continuingcarecommunities.org
• aarp.org/caregiving/basics
• seniorliving.org/continuing-careretirement-communities