Compassionate Senior Living in Atlanta, GA

1960s

Senior Pastor of Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, the late Reverend Dr. Robert E. Lee’s dream to provide safe, decent, and affordable housing for low and moderate-income seniors in Midtown Atlanta, GA, became a reality.

1969

In June 1969, The RLC Corporation was established, and the first members of its governing body, the board of directors, were designated.

1970s

July 27, 1970, the Redeemer congregation transferred ownership of the property to R.L.C Corporation, which led to the partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under Section 2020/236.

1971

April 25, 1971, Lutheran Towers began breaking ground.

1972

In April 1972, the first residents moved into the building. On October 8, 1972, Lutheran Towers held a dedication ceremony.

2000s

Charles Rizzo, Tom Leppenan, and Mark Lee served as Lutheran Towers' executive directors during the first 32 years of operation.

2004

In 2004, G. David Sprowl, MPA, became Lutheran Towers' fourth executive director. The 2000s marked the transformation era for Lutheran Towers, as building renovation occurred routinely, new collaborations were established, and resident service offerings expanded.

Thanks to the generous donations from Redeemer Lutheran Church members and others in the community, Lutheran Towers completed the first phase of renovations, including furnishing the elevator lobbies on all floors.

In pursuit of residents' well-being, we hosted our inaugural health fair featuring 40 health-related partners, such as the American Cancer Society, Atlanta Medical Center, and Grady Hospital.

2005

In 2005, As part of ongoing renovations, we installed a beautiful garden fountain in memory of Pastor Robert E. Lee, Lutheran Towers' founder.

2011

In 2011, Lutheran Towers successfully refinanced its mortgage to meet our mission. The proceeds were used to renovate the bathrooms and kitchens in each resident's apartment.

2012

In 2012, Lutheran Towers held its 40th anniversary celebration on April 20th.

2016

In 2016, Lutheran Towers renovated Lee Hall, the garden, the kitchen, and the adjacent storage room. Both phase II and phase III of the hallway renovations were completed.

The 35th-anniversary groundbreaking of Lutheran Towers was celebrated in honor of the founding board members.

The Board of Directors and Development Committee launched an annual fund.

2017

In 2017, Nichelle Mitchem, Esq. became Lutheran Towers’ fifth executive director. In 2017, the Lifelong Learning Center and Game Room were established.

2018

Lutheran Towers continued to flourish by expanding our community partnerships, growing our service offerings to include extended hours and more varied services, and establishing free resident food programs.

Lutheran Towers conducted a resident needs assessment, highlighting that due to their meager retirement incomes, 90% of Lutheran Towers’ residents are food insecure, which means they exhaust their food and funds to purchase food before the month’s end.

We established a Food Reclamation Program in partnership with Redeemer Lutheran Church, which allows Lutheran Towers to conduct a free weekly food market for our residents. Residents free Thanksgiving Day Brunch established. The Lifelong Learning Center and Game Room Center were created.

Lutheran Towers flourished through expanded community partnerships, extended service hours, increased offerings, and free resident food programs. A resident needs assessment revealed that over 90% of residents face food insecurity due to low retirement incomes.

Lutheran Towers partners with Redeemer Lutheran Church for a weekly food market. A free Thanksgiving Day Luncheon was established for residents.

2019

We look to our future by appreciating and building upon our past. These actions allow the building to remain a desirable housing option for lower-income seniors in the Midtown area. We completed the renovation of the common areas on all 15 floors. We partnered with Atlanta Community Food Bank to create a free food pantry on-site for our residents.

2020 – 2021

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Lutheran Towers partnered with Fulton Community Senior Services and Redeemer Lutheran Church to provide on-site weekday lunches for 65 vulnerable residents. Our staff also implemented virtual programs. We installed WI-FI throughout the building to give residents free internet access. Lutheran Towers continued positively by holding three on-site vaccination clinics for residents.

2022

Lutheran Towers became the first and ONLY senior community to open a free on-site grocery store. Lutheran Towers celebrated 50 years. In November, Karon Winston, MHA, became the sixth executive director. Over 117,360 pounds of food was distributed to seniors in the Lutheran Towers community.

2023

We created a free laundry facility for the residents and conducted our first annual health fair.