'It's a very philanthropic community,' said Kathie Shaffer, Fox Run spokeswoman. 'Our residents are so generous, and they appreciate the employees here.' Just how much money each employee gets depends on a formula that takes into consideration how long they have been working at the facility and how many hours they work a week. They'll average almost $340 -- enough for a bill or two, some groceries or an Xbox 360 plus a couple of games. The Xbox games are high on the list for Annie Kennedy, who has two boys, 11 and 14. She's been an administrative assistant at Fox Run for a little less than a year. 'My kids already have it spent,' said Kennedy, 42. 'It's incredible. I've never worked in an environment like this where people generally care about you as a person. It's really cool.' Shaffer swears it's a low-key pitch for donations -- residents are in no way pressured to give, she said. Staffers aren't allowed to take gratuities throughout the year, but the company opens up the 'Staff Appreciation Fund' campaign in the summer. 'We just put some signs up and some notices in the newsletter,' Shaffer said. 'Our residents actually look forward to this time. They ask, 'When are we going to do the staff appreciation?'' Retirees at the center -- the youngest one can move in is 62 -- pay $117,000 to $500,000 per apartment. They also pay a monthly service fee of from $1,400 to $2,300 for the 24-hour facility. Activity schedules are displayed on the wall on each of the two 60,000-square-foot clubhouses. With pool tables and amenities including a nail salon, library and pub, the clubhouses are reminiscent of a cruise ship. 'We give to the staff once a year, and we try to remember all the little things they do for us,' Agnes Hilving said. Hilving has lived there for about five years -- it's where she met and married her husband, Howard, about two years ago. 'We feel very fortunate we can do that for them.' 'It reflects the good service of the people. We like to give back, too,' said Howard Hilving, 81. The campaign runs throughout the 20 Erickson Communities -- the Fox Run parent company -- nationwide. But this year's donations topped anything taken in at Fox Run in the past. Given the state of Michigan's economy, that's exceptional, employees said. More than 1 million Americans are living in 30,000 to 40,000 assisted living communities. In Michigan, about 10,000 elderly adults reside in assisted living facilities licensed as adult foster care homes, according to the nonprofit Michigan Assisted Living Association. Tens of thousands of others live in licensed homes for the aged and a variety of unlicensed community or retirement residences. Raquel Kassab, a banquet server at Fox Run, is no stranger to the bonuses. She's been working there since she was 16. 'Not a lot of companies give bonuses anymore,' she said. 'I look forward to the bonus every year so I can save it for college,' said Kassab, 21, who is on a waiting list for the nursing school program at Oakland University. Kassab has a self-proclaimed 'purse obsession' and admits to splurging on handbags, but she has more serious goals in mind, too. 'I want to move out of my house next year, so I want to start saving,' she said. You can reach Steve Pardo at (734) 462-2191 or spardodteom.