February 21, 2025 | 11:39 am

Dear Willamette View Community,

We have some very exciting news to share with you. After over a year of conversations with the Board of Directors of Willamette View Inc., my fellow Willamette View Foundation board members and I have decided to join forces for the greater good of all Willamette View residents. What does this mean? This means once final approval is received from the regulatory authorities (sometime in 2025), there will be one cohesive organization to serve residents for all Foundation efforts. We think this will clear up any confusion and release a significant amount of resources to be used for residents.

We will be winding down the Willamette View Foundation and gifting all net assets, around $23 million as of writing this, to Willamette View Inc. to further Willamette View Foundation’s primary mission of helping qualified residents of Willamette View Retirement Community maintain their dignity and independence through assistance in satisfying their need for housing and financial security.

In consideration of this gift, two Willamette View Inc. board seats will be made available for Willamette View Foundation board members.

Thank you for all your support over the decades. It has been a pleasure serving residents. I especially want to thank our Executive Director, Diane Wernli, for leading the way the past 23 years.

See you around Campus!

Sincerely,

Mike Gallagher

Board President and Investment Committee Member

 

November 6, 2024 | 3:10 pm

The end of the year holidays are quickly approaching, make them even more pleasant this year.

Stroll down memory lane: Holidays provoke memories.  Share stories and observations from the past with family and friends.  Break out the photo albums, family videos and music to evoke memories and help recall stories and experiences.  See who can share the funniest story; the process will have everyone smiling.

Watch a holiday movie:  Watching a holiday classic is a must do during the holiday season.  Invite your loved ones to join you or get together with friends.

Walk outside:  Make time for activities that will increase exposure to daylight.  Going for a stroll or sitting on a bench will rejuvenate your senses.  Throw some leaves for fun.

Create new memories:  Enjoy local activities that capture the holiday spirit.  Check out the Milwaukie Tree Lighting and Winter Solstice Celebration which includes a decorated umbrella parade.  The parade will begin at 4:30pm on Saturday, December 7th.   It will start in Downton Milwaukie near the Post Office on Main Street and end at Historic City Hall for the tree lighting.

Be social:  It’s a perfect time to invite friends over to share in a visit.  Getting together with friends to show your appreciation for their friendship is a perfect holiday tradition.  Make it a game night with Rummy, Quiddler, Yahtzee, or any of your favorite games.

Make handmade cards:  Create holiday cards from craft materials and send them to your family and friends during the holiday season.

 

November 6, 2024 | 2:55 pm

The Willamette View Foundation office will be closed on the following holidays so that we can spend time with our family and friends.

Hope you have a wonderful holiday!

Thanksgiving Day & Day after Thanksgiving:  Thursday, Nov 28 & Friday, Nov 29

Christmas Eve & Christmas Day:  Tuesday, Dec 24 & Wednesday, Dec 25 

New Year’s Day:  Wednesday, January 1

Martin Luther King Day:  Monday, January 20

Presidents’ Day:  Monday, February 17

Reminder…our normal business hours are Monday-Thursday 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM and Friday by Appointment Only.

May 20, 2024 | 2:05 pm

Reduce your chances of losing money to scammers

Scammers never rest; they continue to come up with new ways to trick us.  Stay alert, especially whenever you are using technology.  Don’t click on anything in an unsolicited email or text message asking you to update or verify personal or account information.  Be cautious of things you receive in the mail as well.  Store your passwords securely.  A scammer….

Pretends to be someone you know… Don’t rely only on caller ID to confirm someone’s identity.  Be cautious and hang up quickly when you receive an anonymous phone call.   Look up the company’s phone number through a legitimate source like a statement or letter provided by the company.  Text messages are the new way scammers get you to engage, so be weary of friendly messages from unknown numbers.  If you get a text from a phone number you do not recognize that gives an urgent message to respond, do not respond.

Pressures you to act immediately… Avoid clicking on suspicious messages, links, attachments, or pop-ups asking you to act immediately.  Do not ever grant remote access to your device unless you are working with a reputable company.  The hackers goal is to convince users into believing their computer has issues that they can fix so you will disclose your personal information or grant them access to your computer.

Asks you to pay in a specific manner… Never send funds to anyone until you can confirm that the payment is due and method is legitimate.  Regularly review your incoming and outgoing transactions on your bank and account statements to make sure you recognize every listed transaction.  Report any incorrect transactions immediately.

Offers a deal too good to pass up… Websites and social media ads often entice consumers with eye-catching products, but unfortunately, they may fail to deliver the promised goods or even provide counterfeit items. Be aware because this type of scam can involve fake checkout processes, which can result in financial loss or identity theft for the buyer.

February 7, 2024 | 12:21 pm

The passing of a loved one is a very difficult time. On top of the emotional challenges, there are decisions to be made and financial related tasks to be done.  Often, having a checklist can make overwhelming tasks easier to manage. 

Consider the following as you prepare your own list that fits your personal circumstances. 

• Order death certificates through the funeral home.  Determine if extra ones are needed for life insurance policies, financial institutions, and income sources.
• A surviving spouse may be eligible for increased monthly benefits and a one-time death benefit of $255.  Contact the Social Security Administration if applicable.
• If your loved one was receiving veteran benefits or other governmental benefits, notify the appropriate agencies.  You may be entitled to survivor’s benefits.
• Notify income sources and determine eligibility for any death or survivor benefits.
• Contact your bank, credit union, broker and other financial institutions concerning any individual and joint accounts.  Determine the ownership of CD’s, bonds, IRA’s, and savings accounts.  Request date of death values for investments.
• If there are life insurance policies, contact the companies to request claim paperwork, or to update beneficiaries on your polices.
• Update your Durable Power of Attorney and your Health Care Power of Attorney documents if the deceased loved one was designated as your agent.
• Notify the health, renter’s, automobile, and long-term care insurance carriers to cancel coverage for your loved one.
• Notify creditors, including financial institutions and department stores. You may want to cancel any credit cards in the deceased’s name and destroy the cards.
• Contact agencies or companies regarding changing the name on any titles including motor vehicles, real estate, or a recreational vehicle.
• Contact your tax preparer to get help in preparing for the next tax filing season.

Depending on your loved one’s estate plan, you may need to contact an attorney before moving forward to ensure compliance with a will or trust.  Your attorney can   also help you determine whether an inheritance tax return and/or a probate will be required and can often provide assistance in completing all necessary tasks to settle an estate.

May 17, 2023 | 3:27 pm

Ways to reduce your chances of losing money to scammers

Scammers never rest; they continue to come up with new ways to trick us.  Stay alert, especially whenever you are using technology.  Don’t click on anything in an unsolicited email or text message asking you to update or verify personal or account information.  Be cautious of things you receive in the mail as well.  Store your passwords securely.

Your Phone…Don’t rely only on caller ID to confirm someone’s identity.  Look up the company’s phone number through a legitimate source like a statement or letter provided by the company, and don’t use the number a  potential scammer is providing.  Text messages are the new way scammers get you to engage. If you get a text from a phone number you don’t recognize that gives an urgent message to respond, do not respond.

Your Wallet… Clean out your wallet on a regular basis. Remove cards you don’t need to carry.  Throw away any unnecessary items.  Store copies of your cards and important items in a safe place in your home.  Keep in mind, the more cards you carry the more calls you will have to make to have them canceled if your wallet is stolen; and a thief will have more of your personal information.

Computer… Do not open attachments or click on links from people or businesses you do not completely trust.  Secure your online accounts with a strong password and change it regularly.  Use two-factor authentication for secure websites that you use often.

Financial Accounts… Never send funds to anyone until you can confirm that the payment destination is legitimate.  Regularly review the incoming and outgoing transactions on your bank and account statements to make sure you recognize every listed transaction.  Report any incorrect transactions immediately.

                                              

 

March 3, 2023 | 1:28 pm

In January the Willamette View Foundation Board of Directors kicked off the “2023 Resident Inflation Offset Grant Program” to help those of you at Willamette View that are impacted the most by increasing costs and economic challenges.

The program gives a grant to each resident who is on a fixed income with $400,000 or less in net worth excluding personal property ($800,000 for couples).

It’s a one-time grant of $5,000 to Independent and Assisted Living residents and $10,000 to Health Center residents. The program is for Willamette View residents for the calendar year 2023.

Obtaining this grant is simple and quick and happily many residents have already applied and received their grant check.

If you would like to receive a grant, please request a form by contacting Willamette View Foundation at 971-233-8956. We will send you a form to complete and return to us. All we need is your name, address, phone number, signature, and date. It’s that easy. No other information is required and there are no strings attached.

March 2, 2023 | 2:46 pm

Other ways we’ve helped in the past…

Willamette View Foundation has been able to give $3,000,000 to help the Willamette View community over the past 20 years. 

We funded these projects on the Willamette View campus that directly impact resident lives:   

$1,000,000 contributed to the Riverview Dining Project.

$469,000 for Elevator, Auditorium, and Restroom Upgrades.

$286,000 for remodel of Court Library.

$130,000 for Buses; 10 passenger and 12 passenger shuttle buses.

$60,000 in startup funds for the Artworks Studio.

$125,000 for the replacement of Riverview Dining Room chairs.

$344,000 for remodel of Terrace Library, Office, and Reception.

$311,000 for the Personal Help Button campus-wide system.

$170,000 contributed to the startup of the Wellness Center.

$134,000 for Auditorium & Sound System upgrades and In-House Cable System.

 

 

March 2, 2023 | 2:34 pm

Willamette View Foundation was incorporated in 1967

We are a non-profit corporation, separate from Willamette View, Inc., that is dedicated to the residents of the Willamette View retirement community.  We have always been focused on residents and in 1969 we started providing financial assistance to Willamette View residents.  Since then, we’ve paid nearly $11 million in Willamette View charges for residents.

Your safety net …

• Helping residents whose funds have been exhausted, by paying the portion of their Willamette View living costs that their monthly income does not cover. 
• Providing financial assistance to residents at no cost to other residents.
• A free resource available to you as a resident of the Willamette View retirement community.

Our resources have come from donations, bequests, proceeds from resident activities, and earnings on our investments.

We do not have any other source of funds.  We do not receive any portion of resident entrance fees.  In 1981 we received the balance of their endowment fund from Willamette View, Inc. which totaled $180,879.  That contribution was tagged for Resident Assistance and brought our assets to $555,887.   In 1985 we celebrated reaching $1,000,000 in assets and that was after having provided $750,000 in assistance.