The Pinewood Lodge senior living community provides a warm and inviting home for seniors on a limited income. However, because it's a home for seniors in financial need, it can only provide the basics for its residents, making it limited when it comes to providing amenities such as a Christmas decorations and the aroma of freshly-baked cookies.

That's why Christian Living Communities (CLC), a senior living and services company with five communities in the Denver metro area, decided to chip in some holiday cheer providing Christmas decorations, people to help decorate and refreshments to Pinewood Lodge this holiday season. In addition, CLC and the residents throughout its communities have collected nearly 500 pounds of food for the residents of Pinewood Lodge as well as numerous articles of winter clothing.

These efforts are part of CLC's Community Benefits Program-a program that takes on projects that benefit the community at large. In business since 1972, giving back to the community has always been a part of CLC's philosophy. The community benefits program started with a more familiar name to corporations-The Social Accountability Program. However, the Social Accountability Program committee saw its program as more active and purposeful in nature and decided to change the name to the Community Benefits Program.

In 2006, CLC's Community Benefits program won a Quality First Award from the Colorado Association of Homes and Services for the Aging for its work with The Alzheimer's Association, the 9Health Fair, Toys for God's Kids, Street's Hope and a host of other community organizations.