Meredith Auerbach, while working in communications and spending her professional life in Seattle, would regularly visit her mother at Emerald Heights. She had a client in Redmond, so she would stop and spend time with her mom when in town. In the six years her mother lived at Emerald Heights, Meredith became very familiar with the residents and staff. She felt a sense of comfort every time she would visit.
Not long after her mom passed Meredith decided Emerald Heights would be the best choice for her, too. While it was a big adjustment – moving from her busy life in Seattle – to a quieter community, she knew it was right.
Meredith has now been at Emerald Heights for more than a year. She first moved into an apartment at Trailside, but once a cottage at the edge of the woods that she’d been eyeing opened, she quickly moved
on that opportunity. One of her favorite parts of living at Emerald Heights is that she’s able to have her dog Jazz, a gorgeous Welsh terrier – and “Mr. July” in the community calendar, with her.
Prior to moving to Emerald Heights, Meredith worked in different careers, all revolving around food. She was a food writer at Sunset Magazine, worked in the restaurant industry, and was involved in PR and advertising promoting table grapes. She has carried her passion for food to Emerald Heights as she currently works in the country store selling all things from cereal to bread to shampoo to Seahawk paraphernalia. Her neighbor, whom she refers to as her “second mother” started the store, and Meredith will eventually take on more of the management role in the coming months.
“I really do love my life here – all of the pieces just fell into place once I moved in,” she says. “Sharing is really the strength of the community, so while I live alone, (not including my dog, Jazz, of course) I never feel alone. When people don’t have family in town during holidays or events, we all come together. If I need someone to walk my dog because I’m sick, someone will gladly volunteer. Everyone helps out and it’s a real sense of community.”