The Heart of our Community

Showcasing the Berkeley Hall Lifestyle Through the Voices of our Members

It's beautiful to see as you go around the community, the red hearts everywhere, and to know what they mean and what they signify, it's just very special. - Nancy Elliot

“None of us here, obviously, have been through something like this before, so we really didn't know what to expect or how to react,” begins Keith Patten, BHC Board President, in our newest member video. Featuring seven couples, the video shares the stories of fellow members, with Berkeley Hall serving as everyone's sanctuary during the Coronavirus.

The “Berkeley Hall Sanctuary Video” showcases our community in an up-close, personal way, through the voices of our members as they describe their experiences here during these unprecedented times. One aspect we've all embraced is the red heart campaign spearheaded by members Stacey and Alan Steinberg, which shows gratitude and support for first responders, healthcare providers, mail carriers, food workers and others, as well as our own Berkeley Hall staff, for their dedicated and outstanding efforts. “There's been renewed interest in communities like ours for people moving up their retirement plans, and looking for a community that's safe and friendly,” explains David Elliot, Berkeley Hall Membership & Marketing Committee Chair. “We feel this video will resonate with people in metropolitan areas who are considering a new lifestyle choice at a premier private club such as ours.”

You can find the video among other “Our Stories” videos on the member website under the “My Club” tab. Our community is more like a big family, and everyone looks out for everybody.

- Debbi Patten

From left: Nigel and Suzanne Allen, Cheryl and John Riddell, Mark and Trish Slocum, and Charlie and Sharon White

From left: Alan and Stacey Steinberg, Keith and Debbi Patten, David and Nancy Elliot

See more Member Stories on pages 6 and 7... We encourage everyone to view this real-time snapshot of life at Berkeley Hall, told through our participating members, Keith and Debbi Patten, David and Nancy Elliot, Alan and Stacey Steinberg, Mark and Trish Slocum, Cheryl and John Riddell, Nigel and Suzanne Allen, and Charlie and Sharon White. It tells our story in a very special way, and has already been shared with prospective members via digital marketing campaigns to strong response.

Members Making A Difference:

Berkeley Hall is a community that always pulls together, whether in times of need such as these, or in times of celebration such as our upcoming Fourth of July and other annual holidays.

There is a special comradery that defines us, connects us and forms the strong basis of who we are as a compassionate, caring community.

Here, we share a few of our stories, highlighting members’ efforts to make a difference both on a national level and right here at home.

(These excerpts first told in BHC digital news, illustrate the heart of our community.)

“My desire was to help our neighbors and friends”

Carol Chillemi e've heard about the small acts of kindness taking place nationwide, and right here at home, member w Carol Chillemi has done her part by sewing masks for those in our Berkeley Hall community.

"My desire was to help our neighbors and friends," she explained. She assembled a small group of volunteers to assist in this effort and together they have sewn over 450 masks. If anyone would like to request a mask, she is happy to provide one for you, please contact her at carolchillemi@comcast.net.

Her wish to help our community is the very definition of the acts of kindness that matter most and reflect the heart of our Berkeley Hall family.

“The American Spirit is Alive and Well” BHC’s Gary Crandall Fills the Need

hen news of the Coronavirus broke, BHC member Gary Crandall’s first thought was “I’d like to do what I can in w “With masks in dire demand, I put one of my engineers to work, researching on Google how to manufacture them. We made the first prototypes that day.” As they quickly turned from cutting and sewing safety products for the pool industry to creating mask sewing-kits for the medical community, word spread and volunteers came forward. In total, GLI Pool Products donated over 140,000 masks to first responders, healthcare workers and nursing homes. Local businesses, church groups and home volunteers in the Ohio area stepped in to take part. “We provided a safe pickup for the mask kits,” he added. "People drove over an hour to get them, sew them and bring them back to us. The American spirit is alive and well.” Fellow member Gary Crandall’s efforts to deliver help where it’s needed most garnered local and national media coverage, including Ohio NBC-affiliate WFMJ-TV.

this fight.” Crandall did just that in the early 90’s during the

Gulf War, pivoting his Ohio-based pool company’s manufacturing efforts toward producing camouflage covers for M1 tanks

and Apache helicopters.

On behalf of Berkeley Hall, our sincerest thanks to our members for your efforts to make a difference.