April 8, 2025
Recently several concerned Leisure World residents stepped up to form a new nonprofit charity within Leisure World. The founders’ expressed purpose is to provide their struggling neighbors with subsidies for their HOA assessments. High inflation, high insurance premiums, high food and other costs have driven some residents who are on fixed incomes to the brink. They can no longer afford their GRF and Mutual assessments and they may face having to sell their units and leave. That is where the newly incorporated Leisure World Cares Fund can help.
The concept is to generate sustained income from donations by more financially secure residents, government grants to prevent homelessness and other means. With that income a small independent review board will find and vet the neediest members in Leisure World and provide a small subsidy toward their assessments. The idea is to provide housing security and peace of mind to the most vulnerable.
The idea for the Leisure World Cares Fund has been a long time in the making. GRF Director Nick Massetti began introducing the idea to fellow board members about 5 years ago. As assessments have gone up and out of reach for some, more Directors and community members have expressed support for the idea. Besides Massetti, the founding members of the new charity include GRF Directors Don Horning and former GRF Director Stephen Hendrickson, former Mutual Presidents Beth Mayer and Jackie Dunagan, City Councilman Ben Wong, and Mutual 17 resident Shannon Brennan. The group has provided the initial funding along with extensive expertise in community governance and how to get things done in Leisure World. Full implementation of the resource is pending IRS approval of 501(c)(3) status.
More members are welcome and joining is free. The first order of business is to establish a sizeable set of donors from the community who will consistently provide the needed funding. That will enable commitments to be made to those at risk. 100% of donations made on a sustaining basis will be applied to a struggling member’s assessment. Anyone considering becoming involved either as member and or as a donor may contact Leisure World Cares Fund at lwcares@lwcaresfund.org