Episode 10: Fellowship Senior Living
In this episode of the Small Business Voice, Jeanette Forni sits down with Nicole Castillo, marketing director for Fellowship Home Senior Living in Modesto — and a quietly impressive entrepreneur in her own right. Nicole also runs Lucky Clover Solutions, a personal and office assistance business named after a kitten that followed her around while she was brainstorming the concept. Her services range from office organization and lead generation to house sitting — including one home with three horses, a chicken coop, and three dogs.
The conversation quickly turns to what brought Nicole into the senior world: her own parents. As the youngest of three and the only daughter, she naturally became the family's go-to for doctor's appointments, financial decisions, and high-anxiety medical visits. That lived experience, combined with her genuine love of helping people, made senior living a natural fit.
Fellowship Home Senior Living has been in Modesto since 1965, making it the city's first nonprofit senior retirement community. Located at 412 Norwegian Avenue near the Briggsmore and McHenry intersection, the community offers 72 units across three-story apartment buildings and newer cottage-style units built in 2020. It is not an assisted living or memory care facility — it's a 55-and-older independent living community designed for adults who want to downsize, live safely, and stay socially connected without the burden of home maintenance.
Apartments include full-size kitchens with stove, fridge, and dishwasher, spacious bathrooms with raised toilets, slanted countertops for wheelchair accessibility, walk-in showers with drop-down benches, and optional grab bar installations. Cottages feature granite countertops and open floor plans. The community is partially gated, has on-site security, an on-site staff member who lives there full time, and a locked parking lot for residents who keep their own vehicles.
Pricing starts at $2,200 a month for studio units, with the largest two-bedroom cottage-style unit at $2,885. Included in rent are water, garbage, sewage, cable, and internet — making the true out-of-pocket cost significantly lower than it first appears, especially compared to the combined costs of maintaining a private home. A veteran assistance program called Patriot Angels is also available, with brochures on-site.
Safety features include a daily wellness check program where residents check in by phone or text — and staff will physically check on anyone who doesn't respond — as well as a Safe and Sound button worn as a necklace or wristband that can dispatch emergency services, alert staff, and notify family members simultaneously.
Tours are available Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with open houses every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reach Nicole directly at 209-409-4999 or visit fellowshiphomes.org.
