About 100 people enjoyed a cool, dry June evening at Brown’s Farm for the Jamie’s Place Spring Chicken Fundraiser on Sunday evening. Created to bridge the gap between the cost Medicaid pays for a Jamie’s Place resident and the true cost of living and receiving care at Jamie’s Place, the Spring Chicken Fundraiser was, according to board secretary Raleigh Bowden, “financially very successful.”
Guests’ attire struck a perfect balance between farm and formal, with one guest sporting a bowtie with his overalls. Table centerpieces were equally on point, with fresh flowers and colorful hot peppers arranged in vases of hollowed-out cabbages. The menu included, of course, roast chicken, accompanied by the cock-a-doodle-doo cocktail, with pie for dessert, made from some of the favorite recipes of Jamie’s Place residents.
The Jamie’s Place Spring Chicken Fundraiser at Brown’s Farm drew about 100 people who enjoyed food, music and poetry.
Evidence of the personal touch that guides Jamie’s Place caregiving were abundant, from black-and-white photographs Anne Young took of the residents to the mosquito-repelling bracelets each guest was offered. “There were constant reminders that Jamie’s Place thinks of everything to make sure people are comfortable and cared for,” one guest said.
There’s a growing demand for Jamie’s Place care and it outstrips the two homes’ capacity, both for space and for caregiving. In the Methow Valley, the size of the 65 and older age group is growing eight times faster than any other. To tackle this demand from multiple angles, Jamie’s Place is collaborating with Methow at Home and Room One to give Methow Valley elders a full array of options for housing and care as they age.
To best serve a diversity of Methow Valley residents at Jamie’s Place, 25% of the rooms are reserved for residents who qualify to receive Medicaid for assisted living. But Medicaid only covers 40% of the true cost of service, while private philanthropy makes up the difference. That’s why fundraising is essential to the Jamie’s Place operations budget.
Jamie’s Place is based on the Green House model, which de-institutionalizes the standard nursing home model through intentional community, intimate facilities, personalized care, and a degree of independence and control not typically seen in elder care. Board member Carolyn Sullivan addressed some of these features of the Green House model, noting that although they are unique in senior care, at Jamie’s Place they are routine. “All the best things at Jamie’s Place are completely normal,” she said.
Executive Director Rana Clarke spoke about the work she and her team are doing at Jamie’s Place now and in the future, and how that work fits into the puzzle of the valley. She also emphasized how critical the Jamie’s Place caregivers are to the community. In the Green House model, a caregiver is called a “Shahbaz.” In collaboration with the resident elders, the Shahbazim of each house are the primary decision-makers. A Persian word, “Shahbaz” means “royal falcon,” which was a standard item in a royal household as a symbol of strength.
With live music by The Apostles and cowboy poetry from John Doran, the entertainment at the event had an old-timey quality to it. John interspersed his poems with memories of his grandfather, highlighting a thoughtful, respectful relationship with an elder — similar to the relationships the Jamie’s Place caregivers forge with the seniors in their care.
With many Jamie’s Place residents, their loved ones, and community members present, the Spring Chicken Fundraiser felt more like a family reunion than a public event. The whole evening, one guest said, “was all about heart.”
