A Message from William Cunitz
President/CEO

 

I think the reason most people are drawn to Pilgrim Place has more to do with values they perceive inherent in our community and exemplified by our residents than anything else. 

1. The prophetic stance of those holding placards on street corners denouncing our inhumanity to others
2. The joy and heartbreak of living one’s life outside of self-interest
3. The welcome and financial support all find here, regardless of their material success
4. The altruistic giving of self to others who need of food, shelter, education, compassion
5. The intentional communion ritualized and embodied by our noon meal

In a very real sense, Pilgrim Place’s existence flies in the face of a culture that celebrates and glorifies individual achievements, often at the expense of community ….yet a culture that hungers for intentional and meaningful contact with others.  

During my daily commute from home to office, I pass by a small coffee shop/café between 7:00 and 7:30 am. Without fail, I’ve noticed the same older gentleman sitting at an outside table near the front door, reading a newspaper and sipping his brew day after day after day. Last week, my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to stop with the excuse of getting a coffee to go and see if I could strike up a conversation with him. I’m glad I did. Without saying so, he acknowledged that the other “regulars” had become his social context for the day – a place where he could connect with people, even for a fleeting moment, as they dashed back to their cars on their way to work. It reminded me of the old TV show “Cheers” as an important place because there, “everyone knew your name.” I wanted to tell him about Pilgrim Place and how a relatively small band of people continue their pilgrimage of faith together. 

I’ve come to believe there’s something rather noble about this notion of a “pilgrimage place.”  Almost countercultural. Worthy of emulation and encouragement and witness and financial support. There’s an ethic of stewardship here that is missing from most other places I visit or inhabit. Pilgrim Place calls forth the best in us and makes me want to nurture it as a model of “what could be.”

We think the other reason people are drawn to Pilgrim Place has to do with the value they attach to the services we provide to the wider community:

1. The Health Services Center where 60% of its residents are from Upland, Pomona, Rancho Cucamonga, Claremont and beyond
2. The Respite/Adult Day Care Program we offer in partnership with Community Senior Services
3. The Petterson Museum of Intercultural Art and its program of outreach to the local school system
4. Our newly incorporated Harps of the Spirit Program for those on hospice care or facing physical and emotional challenges
5. Programmatic resources offered by our residents and staff to local churches, civic groups and non-profit organizations
6. The Festival and the Pilgrim Drama provided free of charge to hundreds of local school children and their families
7. The campus lectures, movies, cable TV shows and events all open to the public
   
   

As has been the case since its founding in 1915, Pilgrim Place’s future is as bright as the promises of God and the creative responses we employ in each successive generation to the challenges of living into our mission and vision. With this message and our gratitude each day, we acknowledge the foundation provided by all those who value the "idea" of Pilgrim Place and the profound model of stewardship told in the stories of many entwined lives.