KNOB HILL RESIDENTS WANT TO REDEFINE RETIREMENT

06/19/2008

By Nick Danna
editor@TriCountyRecord.com

HONEY BROOK - When many think of retirement, they think only of hitting the links and spending time with the grandkids. The residents who live in Knob Hill Farm in Honey Brook want to break that mold, and have spent the past few years reaching out to the wider community around them through their volunteer efforts.
Residents of the 120-unit development can be found among the ranks of almost all of the local civic and community organizations, and many have distinguished themselves in their chosen area of volunteerism.
"We have more than 100 people here that are 60 or over, and most have time on their hands," says Bill Young, a resident of Knob Hill and active member of the community's outreach programs and governing association, "and for a lot of them they decided that the best use of that time was to volunteer."
Young says that he's been impressed by the amount of volunteer work that Knob Hill Farm residents have been able to accomplish in the short time that the development has been in existence, and says the work is really an extension of the character of the residents there.
"I'm inspired by the number of people that have stepped forward," Young says. "It's like there's been an immediate compulsion to participate and contribute. We want to be part of the entire community."
Dave Leary, another Knob Hill resident, agrees with Young's assessment, and says that he sees the community as something of a special case.
"I've never lived anywhere with this kind of community," Leary says. "People have moved here from as far away as Florida and Washington, and they're a diverse group, in terms of their origins and backgrounds, but they're also a very active group."
Leary can cite a litany of community outreach initiatives from Knob Hill residents, from the community's sponsorship of Twin Valley Little League to its very active, and very successful, Relay for Life team, which has been among the top fundraisers for the annual event since preparations for Relay began last year. From the volunteerism displayed by residents like Jan Schultz, who has played an active part with the Friends of the Honey Brook Library, to the development's outreach to local governments, including having representatives from the development introduce themselves at all local township and school board meetings, to the community's work with the Honey Brook outreach program "Steeple to People," the residents at Knob Hill Farm are taking pride in their uncommon level of activism.
Marty Renninger, president of Knob Hill Farms' community association, is not surprised by his fellow residents' generosity with their time, and says that it's all a part of the spirit of community that residents are trying to build, not only within the development but with the wider community.
"The people who live here are from all parts of the country, and they all came here having worked for a great deal of their lives," says Renninger. "Now, they have an opportunity to spend time doing what they want, and it's refreshing to see them spending their time reaching out. I'm most proud of the volunteerism that's exhibited here. We want to give back to the community that we live in, and I can't think of a better way than to devote our time."