The mission statement of ABHOW is to "enhance the independence, well being, and security of older people through the provision of housing, health care, and supportive services." Individuals were attracted to Rosewood Gardens for various reasons. The family home, in many cases, required too much care and expense. Widows and widowers no longer wanted to live alone. Some were seeking a secure environment. For some moving was a painful experience, involving the giving up of familiar things or storing them. In the beginning retired teachers comprised a large part of the community, but they were joined by, among others, retired oil workers, businessmen, and clergy. The varied background of the residents afforded a distinctive character to Rosewood Gardens.
"No record, in words or pictures," wrote resident Margaret H. Levinson in December 1976, "can measure the gracious, generous contributions of the committees and individuals who have, over the months, given their time, their energy, their enthusiasm to their fellow residents. In countless thoughtful and imaginative ways they have translated friendship into action."
During the first month after Rosewood Gardens was ready for occupancy, a vanguard of residents arrived. These included Elmer and Eunice Karpe, Howard and Eileen Dickson, Marguerite Ashe, Burnham Benson, Gertrude Brockman, Genevieve Crawford, Sidney Greeley, Helen Hammitt, Elizabeth Hammond, Luella Minter, Thelma Ridgway, Daisy Shepherd, Mary Ticehurst, and Dr. Ray Walt.
A beauty shop was opened in July 1976. Resident "floor friends" were selected in November 1976 to help newcomers adjust to life at Rosewood Gardens. A security guard was provided in October 1977, but the service was discontinued for a while until the opening of the Garden Apartments in the mid-1980s. Clinic hours were announced in May 1979, during which the residents were afforded such services as blood pressure checks.
For the convenience of the Rosewood residents, administrator John H. Benedict asked for volunteers to open an "in house" store that would stock groceries and other necessary items. Lewetta Russell volunteered to be the storekeeper. It was known as the "store" until a contest was held to select a more distinctive name. In May 1982 it became known as the Mini-Mart. The merchandise was purchased from wholesale dealers and at retail store sales. The profits were credited to the Resident Council.
The administrator’s wife, Em Benedict, arranged many charter bus trips for the enjoyment of the residents. There were excursions to places of interest like Sequoia National Park, Huntington Library and Art Gallery, and Knotts Berry Farm.
While seeking to preserve the informal friendliness of a home-like atmosphere, the Rosewood Gardens residents formed the Activities Council in May 1974. Soon it was renamed the Resident Council, and a set of bylaws was adopted for the organization. A network of committees was formed, and the officers were elected. These were Marguerite Ashe, president; Howard Dickson, vice president; Gertrude Brockman, secretary; and Helen Hammitt, treasurer.
An increasingly wide range of activities were provided for the residents. Among these were game nights, slide presentations, book reviews, birthday recognition, vespers services, and, starting in August 1975, afternoon teas were held from Monday to Friday. Especially at holiday times, programs were presented by church, school, and community organizations. More educational in nature were discussion groups, craft classes, Bible study, and lectures on aging. Available for recreation were shuffleboard, horseshoe pitching, croquet, and billiards. A resident hobby shop was opened in the Activities Building. There those with skills could do craft work.
When Rosewood Gardens opened in March 1974, there were rooms for two libraries, one on the ground floor and the other in the Assisted Living quarters, but the shelves were empty. As the residents arrived they donated books to the library. With Burnham Benson as librarian, and the help of a library committee, the books were catalogued and displayed, and books were placed in the second floor library room. By September, more than 500 books had been accumulated.
The residents were kept informed of things of interest going on in their retirement community through bulletins like the "Rosewood Gardens News Notes," first issued in March 1974. In May it was renamed the "Rosewood Happenings."
Fitting contributions to Rosewood Gardens were two rose beds planted by Elmer and Eunice Karpe. One of these was in front of the Activities Building and the other south of the dining room. The latter was removed prior to the beginning of construction on the Health Facility in April 1978. In the following spring a new rose garden was planned by the Rosebush Committee. Several residents donated rosebushes for a memorial garden, and 60 plants were purchased from the Armstrong Nursery. These were planted east of the high-rise dining room. Especially active members of the Rosebush Committee were Hazel Haag and Milton Perkins, who worked to make the rose gardens a delight both to the residents and visitors. The plantings were an attractive and fitting compliment to Rosewood Gardens. Hazel Haag received a "Beautiful Bakersfield" award for her work with the roses.
By November 1975, nonsectarian vespers services were being held on Sunday afternoons, and by July 1976, a monthly Catholic mass was being conducted. For several years, Rosewood was served by part-time chaplains, starting with the Rev. Otto Kliever in May 1982. His part-time successors were the Reverends Charles D. Wilkinson, Rose Schmoll, and Gary Bashor. The Rev. Bashor became a full-time chaplain in October 1998.
