What does home mean to you? For Dorothy S., a resident of the Skybird Landing Apartments in Geneseo, New York since 2019, home is a place with beautiful surroundings, new friends, a convenient location, and supportive people who are always there to help.

“I was one of the first tenants,” she said. “I watched Skybird being built and couldn’t believe I got in. It’s very affordable and everything is included. From my apartment, I can see deer walking around and during the winter, it looks like a Christmas card. The staff here are wonderful. They can’t do enough for you. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Dorothy, 75, was born in Rochester but spent most of her life in the Livonia and Lakeville, New York area, growing up as one of ten siblings, seven of whom still live in Livingston County. Her cherished family – her daughter, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren – all live in the county as well.

She worked all her life, starting at the age of 14 when Dorothy got her first waitressing job at the Milky Way restaurant. She went on to waitress in other settings and eventually retired from being a school bus driver, a role she loved. “It was the perfect job, a good fit – I loved those little guys. I needed them just as much as they needed me,” she said.

Dorothy and her late husband, Fred, laughed every day. When Fred passed away, Dorothy moved to Geneseo from Livonia but found that rent in her former apartment was increasingly steep, especially for someone on a fixed income. Living at the Skybird Landing Apartments has enabled Dorothy to get caught up on debts incurred during her husband’s illness. “It’s about half of what I once paid in rent,” she said. “I am so happy to be here. It’s almost too good to be true.”

An avid reader with a particular appreciation for history and mysteries, Dorothy also loves to cook, her specialties being German and Italian cuisine. She learned from her father, a chef, who always advised her to cook from her heart and not a recipe for the best results. She recently had her hip replaced and has a goal of walking three miles back and forth to the library to keep in shape. She also volunteers at the Moose Lodge in their kitchen one or two days a week.

And every day, she is thankful for her home at the Skybird Landing Apartments. “It’s just so nice here,“ she said. “People wave, say good morning. It’s broadened my friendships. It’s just a great mix of people. Someone is always there to help if you need it.”