The board of directors for Garden Spot Communities and Frederick Living announced the affiliation of the two organizations. Garden Spot Communities and Frederick Living share a similar mission and values as faith-based, non-profit continuing-care retirement communities.

            The CEOs of the two organizations, Steve Lindsey, of Garden Spot Communities, and Michelle Rassler, of Frederick Living, jointly delivered the exciting news.

            "It's been a busy summer as our boards, leadership, and outside consultants worked hard to evaluate the financial structure, operational impact, organizational systems, and opportunities to advance our common mission," said Lindsey.

            "We are pleased that at the end of the process, our boards have unanimously voted to affiliate. And we are pleased with the new relationships that have developed between our residents and team members. At the beginning of the summer, we suspected our organizations had a common soul—at the end of the summer, we are convinced that it's true. It's an exciting time!"

            The affiliation process is well underway, with Garden Spot Communities and Frederick Living having initiated the legal proceedings required for government approval. The legal affiliation is expected to be finalized early next year.

            Upon completion of the affiliation, Frederick Living will become a Garden Spot Community, expanding the collective footprint to include Garden Spot Village and Maple Farm in Lancaster County and Frederick Living in Montgomery County.

            Lindsey highlighted the driving force behind the affiliation. "We started this journey because both Frederick Living and Garden Spot Communities recognized that the world is changing faster today than ever before. Both organizations believed that the era of the single site and small system organization is coming to a close. As we each looked for partners to leverage our experience and achieve a point of critical mass, we believed our mission-driven, faith-based organizations were a strong match. We are thankful that our boards agree."