In  honor of its 10th year, Wesley Homes’ Lea Hill retirement community hosted a celebration May 21 that Wesley Homes president Kevin Anderson called a salute to “a major accomplishment for us.”

The opening of the Auburn-area campus “set the tone for Wesley Homes,” Anderson said. “It is our prototype for what we want to do, the type of communities we want to create, and how we want to serve seniors.”

In 2003, the Wesley Homes Board of Trustees voted to move forward with the Lea Hill project in response to Auburn residents who wanted “to be part of Wesley Homes, but they didn’t want to leave their Auburn community. That planted the seed.”

The campus is home to more than 230 residents. The nearly 19 acres includes walking trails.

In 2016, the campus added the Lea Hill Rehabilitation and Care Center. Comprised of 34 private suites and one semi-private suite, all with kitchenettes and bathrooms, the facility is the only not-for-profit center of its kind in greater south King County, according to Wesley Homes. The care center completes the continuum of care on the Auburn campus, officials noted.

In addition to Lea Hill, Wesley Homes operates a retirement community in Des Moines and is building another one in Puyallup. The United Methodist Church-affiliated organization also has a home health agency.