Using Their Talents - White Horse Village residents bring a wealth of experience

A biology teacher. A nurse. A financial manager. A marketer and fundraiser. They may be retired, but residents have many ways to share their talents and life experiences at White Horse Village. 

This continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, sits not far from Philadelphia but in a rural setting next to Ridley Creek State Park. It attracts people from diverse backgrounds, who find satisfaction in using their gifts to make their home a better place to live. 

Let’s meet just a few of these residents, and see the ways they’ve found to connect with others and make a difference.

Nancy Hopko

A longtime nurse who also taught nursing at Villanova, Nancy Hopko very quickly plugged in after moving to the community. “I wanted to be engaged where I lived, and to know what was going on,” she says. This approach harks back to her high school and college days, when she valued connecting with those around her through student government.  

Now, she’s putting her medical experience to use as a member of the Health Services Advisory Committee. “That’s important work, because we’re tapping into how residents experience outpatient and healthcare services here,” Hopko says. She experienced the system herself when her husband spent time in the Healthcare Center, and reports they both thought the care was excellent.  

Hopko doesn’t stop at healthcare consultation. She’s also on the Resident Association Council, coordinates bringing guest speakers to campus, volunteers with a resident-managed currency service, and sings with the resident choir, the Village Singers. “I love to sing,” she says. 

She was even talked into joining the bocce league. “I am the least athletic person that ever set foot in this place,” she says, but that doesn’t matter. It’s a good way to meet people. “It’s just lovely to sit down on a fall morning and drink coffee and cheer on your teammates.” 

“I grew up in a small town,” Hopko says. “This is just like that. I wanted to know the people I live with.” 

Bunnie Bryant & Mary Hankins

The welcoming atmosphere at White Horse Village was a big draw for Bunnie Bryant and her partner Mary Hankins, and they’re working to contribute to that culture now.  

The rainbow icon on the website indicated this would be an accepting place, and that has been borne out, they say.  

“We’ve met a lot of nice people who were very welcoming,” Bunnie says. “No one blinked an eye when we came in as a married couple.” 

“We walked around the clubhouse, and everyone was so nice,” Mary says. “Everyone smiled and said hello, even though they hadn’t seen us before.”  

They value the diversity on campus. “We’re all about meeting people where they are and talking to them and learning who they are through conversation, rather than making assumptions because of labels,” Bunnie says. “We think the same has been given to us, too.” 

They’ve both found plenty of ways to use their talents here. Hankins, a former biology teacher, loves all things green and quickly joined the Harvesters Garden Club with its community garden plots. She also offers advice on the Landscaping committee, and has helped drive efforts for better environmental practices via the Sustainability committee, which she co-chairs. Mary also was elected to the Residents Council. 

Bunnie, a former English teacher, loves words, and she’s spearheaded a poetry club that meets regularly to discuss poems and share their creative writing. She writes poems for various publications and events, and also writes for the monthly magazine White Horse Tales. Her participation on the IDEA committee (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Advocacy) is crucial to her desire to celebrate the diversity on campus. “The goal is to include everybody as much as possible,” Bunnie says. 

“There are plenty of things to do,” Mary says. “You can just sit home if you want to. But you’re drawn out here with all the opportunities. And then once you find something that you really like, you can go into it.”   

There’s something for a variety of tastes and talents. The art studio offers resources for painting, sculpture and more. Woodworkers have a shop with plenty of advanced tools to shape their creations. And fitness fans have ready access to a Wellness Center with exercise equipment and an indoor pool. 

Bud Billups

Life took Bud Billups many places before he landed at White Horse Village. He spent time in the Navy keeping an eye out for Russian submarines during the Cold War, then followed his father into the oil business, working for Exxon. Later he helped manage funds for the Glenmede Trust Company. After that, he took a position in charge of finances and operations for St. John’s College in Annapolis. 

While Soviet subs aren’t much of a worry at White Horse Village, Bud has been able to tap into other talents from his career. Soon after he arrived he began helping out with the Endowment Fund, now the White Horse Village Foundation, an in-house charitable organization that supports residents and team members. He’s now vice president.  

After dealing with hearing loss, Bud started a resource group for residents in the same situation, sharing resources and sometimes bringing in audiologists and other experts. He helps organize a Great Decisions discussion group that analyzes pressing global issues, likes to volunteer in healthcare, and has also been caught up in the bocce vortex. 

He values the connections these activities provide. Bocce, for example, is “a wonderful way to get to know people here. And there are some great stories. I mean, some of the people here have done some really interesting things.”

The many opportunities to get involved here are often run by residents, Bud observes. While White Horse Village endorses and supports the hearing group, it is a resident project. “That’s what happens here.” 

There aren’t many places like White Horse Village, he reflects. An independent nonprofit, “It’s very different than most retirement communities. There are a lot of people here who have gone around and looked at a lot of places, and they end up here.” 

Pat & Bill Hibschman

They wanted a very active community, and that’s exactly what Bill and Pat Hibschman found at White Horse Village.  

Pat had done marketing and fundraising in the years before they moved in, and she thought she was done with all that. But now she co-chairs the annual Octofair, a fall festival featuring games, a silent auction, and other activities. (It serves as a fundraiser for the Residents Association and drew more than 750 people this year.) She’s also co-chair of the Employee Appreciation Fund campaign, which raises money to show appreciation for White Horse Village team members. Both events are among the biggest resident projects on campus each year. 

“I went from not wanting to do anything anymore to, look at me now,” Pat says cheerfully. 

For his part, Bill does a lot of work with the Residents Association, and recently helped give input into the selection of a new president & CEO. 

He’s very people-oriented and likes being around others. Also, “I enjoy being in leadership positions. That was what I did in my career,” he reflects. 

Of his activities, “Most meaningful for me is being a part of shaping the future of White Horse Village,” Bill says.  

He, too, has the bocce bug, captaining his neighborhood team. (If you hadn’t noticed, the game is kind of a big deal here.) “A third of the population is involved in bocce,” Bill estimates. 

Along with other residents, the Hibschmans point to the beautiful campus as a draw. That, and the people. 

“We did a lot of visiting other CCRCs and we just kept coming back because not only the property but the culture … people are wonderful here,” Pat says. 

White Horse Village is an active senior living community offering a full range of living options and healthcare services. To schedule a tour, call 610-675-2054 or email info@whitehorsevillage.org.