A Legacy of Helping South Brunswick Seniors Maintain Independence

If a working class hero is truly something to be, then the residents of the South Brunswick Community Development certainly have their very own Batman and Robin. To put it more accurately, Karen Scalera and Muriel Leonard, administrative director and president of the board of volunteers respectively, are both caped crusaders in the fight to sustain affordable independent living for senior citizens rather than surrender them to assisted living. There is no room for sidekicks in this battle.

Service is often a legacy and the career of Karen Scalera is no exception. In 1989, Scalera was an accountant with her own business, while her mother had a management company that counted Charleston Place as one of its properties.

With 84 units, Charleston was the original residence in the community and when its property manager went on maternity leave, Scalera stepped in temporarily as a favor to her mother. After a few months, the role began to grow on her.

This turned out to be good news for South Brunswick as the government decided it wanted an onsite manager at Charleston and Scalera was the natural choice. By this time, a pattern had begun to emerge of seemingly temporary responsibilities stringing together and forming a lifetime commitment.

At first, duties did not seem too earth-shattering but someone had to buy Bingo prizes and elderly tenants were to be kept active. What kept her around was that nothing ever went according to plan.

The job became a vocation after being present for a sad but all-too-common occurrence in the community. A resident had passed away. Scalera recollects a single comment made by a neighbor.

“She said ‘Wasn’t  it a wonderful thing for her to pass away in her own home?’  That was the awakening," Scalera said.  "This is their home. They get to remain in their home.”

By 2000, 74 more units were added to the community in the form of Oakwoods, Charleston’s companion facility, and Scalera was named Executive Director of both buildings. Fortunately, Scalera’s realm of expertise had expanded far beyond the realm of Bingo prizes.

As her heart belonged to more and more of her charges , the happily hectic administrator had taken on the challenge of writing grants. In true DIY fashion, Scalera fully accepted all responsibilities and formed a habit of taking on help more in the form of trusted allies and a tight staff rather than rely on contractors and outside sources.

Hosting 180 residents, the care of the development’s citizens could be trusted to a staff of no more than 15 employees. The cost of running such a tight ship is a constant crucible for Scalera but she and allies like Muriel lay it all on the line for the crown jewel of the program they maintain at the South Brunswick facility: The Congregate Housing Services Program.

Like a church congregation after mass on a Sunday, those who partake in the Congregate Housing Services Program are able to enjoy each other’s company  and maintain quite the active social life. What’s more is you’d be hard pressed to find the church that offers the kind of meal that residents are provided.

Whether they are able to prepare their own or not, the idea is that even the most reclusive senior makes it his or her business to show up for a choice of two entrees, soup or salad, dessert, juice and coffee. After an easy breakfast, there is always a Meals On Wheels option for lunch and a trip to the Dining Hall seven days a week.

Ten years ago, the NJ Department of Health & Senior Services began the program at Charleston Place. At the time, the food was prepared elsewhere and brought to the waiting seniors. Once Oakwood was built, advance planning had allowed for a commercial kitchen and the hiring of an intern trained at Elijah’s Promise, New Brunswick’s infamous soup kitchen. Enjoying upward mobility similar to Scalera’s rise to power, the intern became the chef and finally, the coordinator.

“He already knew how to cook so I couldn’t teach him that, but I could teach him to be the coordinator,” Scalera said.

Ultimately, maintaining a basic paid staff consisting of the chef, housekeeping and herself is a delicate balance that is not exactly a sure thing. For one, the operation still relies on cost share. Rent is based on income. There is some share in the cost of the meal. Meals range from 43-cents per meal up to $8.56 per meal, which is full cost. 

What is perhaps the most precarious condition of the program is the fact that it is based entirely on casino revenue. Casino revenue is currently down.  Factor in the cost of food, which is bought in bulk to cut costs, and the gas surcharges affecting its delivery.

Finally, consider this. Health insurance for the cook and the housekeeping staff has been cut by the state but, of course, still the legal responsibility of their employer. What can Scalera do? Why, call on her secret weapon: Muriel Leonard. 

Though technically a retiree, the term really does not fit Leonard. As Assistant Controller and Director of Marketing for The Center for Professional Advancement, Leonard brought considerable knowledge and experience to the operation in 1994.

One fateful invitation to observe a meeting led to crucial assistance in a tenant grievance case and today, the formidable lady heads a board of thirteen fellow volunteers and oversees all fundraising. Her current project is nothing short of an Anniversary Banquet,  the thirtieth for Charleston and tenth for Oakwood.

Do not allow the altruism of these two amazing women overshadow the very real self-reliance of the tenants of the South Brunswick Community Development. Their love of their independence and their vibrant lifestyle has certainly led to more than one instance of reaching into their own pockets to assist their beloved Congregate program.

At roughly $1,000 per participant in the state of New Jersey, assisted living and nursing homes remain a viable, but expensive option. While there are always alternatives to how one spends the twilight of their lifetime, there is no alternative to the lives laid on the line in service of others, especially those who have already laid their lives on the line for us.