Meet Greg, Culpepper Garden Resident

Greg, the President of our Resident Association, is a vital part of the Culpepper Garden community. He was fortunate to find a home at Culpepper Garden and remain here in the Arlington community where he lived and worked for over 40 years.

Greg graduated with a Bachelor’s of Art’s degree from the University of Richmond in 1973. He was going to go to graduate school, but started driving a cab instead. He found he enjoyed his job so he just kept on driving until 2004. That’s when Greg got sick and suddenly had to stop driving at the age of 62. He wound up in the hospital for a few months and had to face the facts — he could no longer drive and make a living. He would need to rely on his modest retirement income.

Greg was very lucky that he had heard about Culpepper Garden through his customers who were residents. They gave Culpepper Garden a 100% approval rating. He knew that this was where he
wanted to live. He applied while he was still in the hospital and after several weeks his application was approved and there was an apartment he could afford.

Greg was fortunate to have some savings that helped him transition from his current apartment into life at Culpepper Garden. Once he was here, he the Resident Services team helped him to make ends meet through assistance from Arlington County to help with rent and food.

He also didn’t have health insurance when he arrived at Culpepper Garden and Resident Services helped him to apply for Medicare, and reduce expenses from an unexpected second hospital stay. He got connected to the Arlington Free Clinic to get the vital help that he needed to stay healthy while waiting for Medicare. Now, he has Medicare, Medicaid and Kaiser insurance and someone checks up on him every week to see how he is doing and make sure he is taking his medication.

Greg is also grateful that the bus comes almost right to the front door of Culpepper Garden so he has ready access to transportation for his medical appointments and shopping. Living at Culpepper Garden makes his life easier and has helped him to stay in the community he knows and where he feels safe. Greg enjoys being able to sleep in, smoking a cigar and reading the New York Times outside by the gardens, eating and socializing in the dining room, cheering for the Yankees and using the computers in our computer lab. He has learned to use a computer through trial and error but can always request help from the team of E*TRADE volunteers.

Greg knows the renovation of the original 204 apartments is coming and will change things for the better at Culpepper Garden. He hopes that after it is finished that residents will have more activities, ping pong tables and can play other games. His message to everyone during the holiday season is to “Relax.”