Pilgrim Manor Named Outstanding Environmental Partner

Pilgrim Manor CEO George Heartwell tests out the community's composting bin.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) honored CHHSM member Pilgrim Manor Retirement Community July 28 as an “Outstanding Environmental Partner.”

The Grand Rapids, Mich., community is one of only 13 businesses statewide and one of four in West Michigan to be a 2010 honoree.

The award is given through DNRE’s Neighborhood Environmental Partners program, which urges cooperation between businesses and citizen groups to improve neighborhoods, making them cleaner and more attractive places to live and work. “When businesses and their neighbors work together to improve our environment and natural resources, everyone in the community benefits,” said DNRE Director Rebecca Humphries.

Pilgrim Manor won recognition for its “triple bottom line” business approach, which weighs environmental, social, and economic results equally as measures of success. “The overarching goal of Pilgrim Manor’s environmental stewardship efforts is to engage our community in enhancing quality of life for us all,” said George Heartwell, Pilgrim Manor’s CEO. “This award recognizes the commitment of our staff to this ideal and demonstrates what is possible when everyone is working together toward a common goal.”

Pilgrim Manor was founded in 1963 and provides a community and services dedicated to enhancing the physical, social, spiritual and emotional quality of life for older adults and their families throughout the greater Grand Rapids area.

Read more about Pilgrim Manor’s “triple bottom line” business approach here.