Westminster Kicks off New Year with International Philanthropic Award
Executive Chuck Borst Receives Highest Honor for Community Service, Volunteerism and Leadership
AUSTIN, TX – The Communitas Awards, an international organization that recognizes the spirit of “Communitas,” which translates people helping people, awarded Charles “Chuck” Borst, executive director of Westminster retirement community, with its most prestigious award for “Excellence in Community Service.” This honor is being bestowed for Chuck’s efforts to raise more than half a million dollars for Alzheimer’s Texas over the last 10 years, his leadership as founding member and president of the Texas Culture Change Coalition (TXCCC), and his involvement with LeadingAge Texas, a network of organizations that advocate on behalf of seniors and caregivers statewide.
“Chuck embodies the values of the Communitas award by embracing a culture of giving back as an integral part of the Westminster business model,” said Paul Hilgers, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Westminster. “He sets the bar high for board members, residents and associates to contribute to community service through financial gifts, volunteer time and organizational leadership, always laser focused on projects that improve our industry.”
Communitas winners are recognized for specific programs involving volunteerism, philanthropy or ethical, sustainable business practices. Honorees range from an online retailer enlisting vendor-partners to design and create teddy bears to cheer up 20,000 recovery room patients at a Children’s Hospital, and Fortune 500 corporations like MasterCard, Honeywell, Dow Chemical, and Toyota, which give employees paid leave to volunteer for nonprofits of their choice.
For more than 25 years, Chuck has served as a leader in the senior living industry with deep experience in healthcare. During an historically challenging era for seniors, he used philanthropy as a healing tool, gathering people together in safe environments to raise more than a million dollars benefiting local charities and record funds for Alzheimer’s research, one of his longtime passions. He is also a co-founder and president of TXCCC, that advocates for more than 200,000 Texans living in more than 4,000 long-term care facilities. With Chuck’s leadership, Westminster has won multiple awards for service excellence by LeadingAge Texas for his continued support of the nonprofit’s educational programs benefitting seniors and his efforts to mentor professionals in the senior living industry.
To help students prepare for careers in senior living, one of the fastest-growing industries in the nation, Westminster has created three scholarships with Austin Community College and the University of Texas at Austin. According to Diana DiNitto, Ph.D., the Cullen Trust Centennial professor in Alcohol Studies and Education in the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at UT, Westminster is developing social and continuing education programs that get to the heart of what people really need, especially seniors who are often overlooked and underserved.
As the state of Texas continues to attract retirees, the ripple effect of Borst’s work will ultimately be felt by more than a million people statewide – from seniors to adult children to caregivers and nurses and individuals who work in the retirement industry.
For a list of Communitas awardees in 2022, visit communitasawards.com.
