Givens Estates is a nonprofit Senior Life Plan Community, also known as a continuing care retirement community (CCRC), located on 215 acres in Asheville, North Carolina. For more than 40 years, we have served the greater Asheville area, helping older adults lead engaged, purpose-driven lives through quality services and amenities.
Our community is supported by strong leadership and financial stability. Givens Estates has been accredited by CARF since 1993, demonstrating that we meet rigorous national and international quality standards. We also hold an A- rating from Fitch Ratings, reflecting strong occupancy, sound financial performance, and a positive outlook.
Givens Estates has a rich and expansive history that spans four decades of service. Our first residents arrived in 1979 thanks to the generosity of Marion Givens and her husband, Dr. Maurice Givens.
The Givens were charitable people who donated to hospitals, universities, and museums. The couple split their time between wintering at their home in Daytona Beach, Florida, and then cooling off during the summer months at their home in the mountains of Asheville.
During the final years of Mrs. Givens’ life, with the help of a few trusted advisors, she arranged to leave 160 acres of her Asheville estate on Sweeten Creek Road with the stipulation it would be developed into a senior living retirement community. After her death, the Marion J. Givens Trust worked with leaders in the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church to establish Givens Estates.
In 1979, the campus consisted of 78 one- and two-bedroom apartments within ten buildings, partly funded through HUD (Housing Urban Development). Givens Estate’s relationship with the WNC United Methodist Church and the Marion J. Givens Trust has remained constant throughout four decades of exponential growth.
Givens Estates was the original Givens community, though there are now four senior living communities that comprise Givens Communities. The mission of Givens Communities is to improve lives of retirees through communities, services, and outreach. Learn more by visiting the Givens Communities website or reading the Givens Communities e-brochure.
Givens Estates creates a community where all can flourish.
Our leadership, staff, and residents set expectations, and each person reinforces those norms through daily living. These individual actions, based on shared values and mutual support, contribute to the whole.
We promote inclusivity by aligning our words with our actions.
Givens Estates treats each person with dignity and respect and welcomes all as valued community members. Individual viewpoints inspire growth and make us stronger. We love and appreciate the various voices and perspectives that contribute to our organization.
Add value to the world around us.
Our residents and staff give back to Givens Estates and the larger community. Whether they are volunteering, fundraising for a charitable cause, or donating their time or talent to make a difference, we support our residents in their efforts to be creators who take action.
Givens Estates’ vision and mission guide our daily operations and large-scale decisions as we set a path for the future. Our vision is “Endless Possibilities, Vibrant Aging”, while our mission is “Creating Community, Empowering Lives”. This vision includes the broader population of Western North Carolina and the residents within our Givens Communities organization.
Along with our vision and mission, our four core values are People Passionate, Make a Difference, Power of Community, and Do What’s Right.
Givens Estates’ awe-inspiring location in the Blue Ridge Mountains is one of our biggest blessings. We are fortunate heirs to 215 acres of mountain meadows and woodlands. Making responsible choices that preserve our region’s natural aesthetic demonstrates our gratitude for this beautiful location.
Fourteen acres of meadows on Givens Estates’ campus help reduce carbon emissions and support wildlife habitats. Our Grounds Department works closely with the Asheville Fire Department to maintain these meadows by performing controlled burns. This benefits the environment by encouraging new growth of desirable plants, reduces weed pressure and herbicide use, and provides habitat for animals.
Our Grounds Department emphasizes the use of native plants on campus. We incorporate plants from our natural areas into our more formal spaces. In forested areas, our team works diligently to remove invasive exotic species that disrupt native plant populations, such as Multiflora Rose and Oriental Bittersweet.
The installation of underground retention systems that capture parking lot and building run-off is essential for our water quality initiatives. The Clean Water Management Trust Fund awarded our community a $310,000 grant to improve water quality on campus, and we have performed various stream remediation/restoration projects.
Using solar energy to power our maintenance and grounds buildings is another example of our sustainability practices, as is incorporating organics (minimizing the use of fertilizers and pesticides) into the landscape. Much of the organic product used comes from composting over 70,000 pounds of leaves that are removed from the landscape.
Givens Estates is continuously looking for innovative approaches to achieve our sustainability goals. We strive to be good stewards of our 215 acres by preserving these beautiful outdoor spaces for our residents and future generations that follow.
Givens Estates is a nonprofit life plan community that welcomes financial support through the Givens Foundation. We offer giving opportunities that directly impact the lives of seniors, improve the quality of life for our residents, and support our outstanding team members. Explore the Givens Foundation’s Impact Areas to see how your generosity can support the people and programs that matter most to you.
Your generosity ensures that Givens (Highland Farm)s secures its leadership position and service for future generations and strengthens our ministry to seniors. We value your impact and commitment to this worthy vision.
With natural beauty, an affordable cost of living, vibrant dining and shopping, plus rich arts and culture, it is no wonder that the Black Mountain area is a favorite among these national publications.