Every year, the Office of Philanthropy helps organize Century Circle Socials at each major Phoebe location. These socials are our way of saying “thank you” to our Century Circle donors who support Phoebe with $1,000 or more each year. Tom Dilts is one such selfless individual.
At these events, residents and donors mingle in a meaningful and fun environment featuring entertainment, prizes, and food. Dilts has been regularly attending Century Circle Socials for some time now. The Office of Philanthropy reserves a seat for him and other donors with nametags, but you won’t find Dilts in his assigned seat.
Instead, he walks around the room, talks to residents, and lends a hand in running the event. The nametag and seat are mere suggestions. Dilts would much rather donate his time by scooping ice cream, serving drinks and snacks, and assisting with games—all in the pursuit of engaging with and giving back to the community more than he already has.
“Most organizations, when you give money, invite you to a cocktail party, a dinner, or a golf outing,” says Dilts. “Phoebe invites me to an assisted living facility to celebrate with residents. This is my kind of organization. I don’t want the dinner and all the other things. This is what I want: The chance to sit down with people, see how they’re doing, and be helpful in the process.” Dilts is also a Legacy Society member (those who have left a gift to Phoebe Ministries in their will or trust).
Dilts has held volunteer work, philanthropy, and community prosperity close to his heart for his entire life. As a lawyer, he worked for a major New Jersey law firm before opening his own private law office just 10 miles from where he grew up in Three Bridges.
Dilts began as a lawyer of general practice but would later become a New Jersey Superior Court Judge in 1991, where he oversaw cases of domestic violence, divorce, child abuse, and juvenile delinquency. His passion for helping people through such difficult life events has led to instrumental leadership in New Jersey’s Domestic Violence Program. For 15 years, he also taught judges how to avoid gender discrimination in law.
In 2011, at age 63, Dilts retired from his Superior Court position to focus on mediation and pro bono work. Around this time, 15 of Dilts’s friends joined him in creating the Children’s Hope Initiative, an organization that supports programs and services for children of abuse and neglect. Dilts would also become the co-chair of the NJ Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board, a position he holds to this day.
Dilts’s career has revolved around helping others, but this drive didn’t stop once he arrived at Phoebe. He moved to Chestnut Ridge at Rodale in 2024 after his wife’s passing. One of his primary goals in retirement was to continue to give thanks to the community for the privilege of being a judge.
One way he did this was by offering a genealogy service to his fellow residents. Dilts, along with five other skilled Genealogists at Chestnut Ridge, put out a call for residents to learn more about their family ancestry. The group would then gather information from said residents and return with a richer and more thoroughly researched history of that resident’s family.
“It’s been very rewarding,” says Dilts.
Dilts is also a founding member of the Photography Club at Chestnut Ridge. Currently comprised of 14 residents with varying levels of experience, the group aims to educate, practice, and share photography with the community. Dilts’s apartment is lined with his own impressive photos from years of travel.
In addition to his deep religious and social involvement, Dilts’s time at Chestnut Ridge has opened the door to many new hobbies and interests. He taught himself to play piano and learned Mahjong from his fellow residents. He takes pride in being active and cherishes the lunches and billiards matches with his friends.
Dilts is also a Pathstones member, which has given him the peace of mind to continue living the way he wants to: from taking care of the plants on his balcony to traveling.
“It just makes financial sense as a health supplement,” says Dilts. Pathstones is ready to support Dilts should a health event occur.
“Phoebe Ministries provides a wonderful service for hundreds of people,” says Dilts. “It seems to me that people who are able should be making a contribution so that programs can go on into the future. It’s worthy ministry. It’s good people doing important work for the right reasons.”
Phoebe Ministries is incredibly grateful to have the generous support of Tom Dilts and our many other donors. If you would like to join Tom Dilts in donating to Phoebe in support of quality senior services, please visit 5d5b62807b.nxcli.io/donate.
Written by Dominic Trabosci