About ERC

Our Mission Statement: ERC is a non-profit that serves communities by providing high-quality services and housing to older adults.

Our Vision Statement: ERC sets the standard of excellence in senior housing and services in the communities we serve.

Our Values:

  • Provide a safe, secure environment for our residents
  • Provide a well-designed facility, quality care and a responsive staff
  • Provide creative wellness programs and activities to promote residents’ quality of life
  • Train, develop and encourage our employees so they enjoy working for ERC and reach their personal and professional potential
  • Create positive relationships between ERC facilities, their surrounding communities, our partners and neighboring churches
  • Ensure that our operations meet or exceed professional standards of integrity and accountability

Our story is one of striving, setbacks and, ultimately, success. Where we come from says a considerable amount about who we are.

Originally founded prior to 1960 and decommissioned, ERC was reactivated in 1975, thanks to seed money from a bequest by Ms. Helen Long of Tacoma. Ms. Long always tried to use her wealth where it would do the most good, and her living trust agreement specified that the money go to the Diocese of Olympia Episcopal Fund for the Aging. This allowed ERC the ability to develop housing and services for the elderly of the Diocese of Olympia.

However, of the course of the next twenty years, ERC struggled to find land and actually establish itself. That changed in the spring of 1990, when Mr. David P. Steele, who was experienced in the development and management of retirement housing, was named Executive Director and managed to get ERC back on track.

After consults and contracts for advice, in 1992 formalized plans were made to construct and operate Canterbury Manor in Bremerton, WA. The independent senior community opened its doors August of ’94 and has provided affordable housing and services for the better part of 30 years.

With the success of Canterbury Manor fresh on its back, ERC sought to continue forth with its objective to provide church-affiliated, competitively priced retirement communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. Next, St. Andrew’s Place was established, an assisted living community in Port Angeles, WA, and had its occupancy quickly filled up in 1998. At present, St. Andrew’s Place is the only non-profit assisted living on the North Olympic Peninsula that accepts Medicaid seniors upon admittance.

Today, we look forward to bringing a way of life to Western Washington so that all might experience the ERC difference.