Lauren Dean has a rare medical condition that affects her physical and neurological health. Her 13-year-old daughter, Alyssa, is cared for by Lauren’s mother. For years Alyssa saw her mom only when her grandmother could visit, so Lauren only rarely participated in raising her daughter. After living at four other…
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Here We Grow Again!
Two United Church Homes’ communities in Ohio — Trinity in Beavercreek and Chapel Hill in Canal Fulton — both recently completed expansion projects that added new independent living cottages to each campus. These projects are an essential part of the organization’s long-range strategic plan to increase independent living accommodations where…
Read MoreImportance of Community Chaplains
Providing spiritual care and comfort for people who are experiencing life’s difficulties, and having trained and credentialed pastors present and available when residents, families, friends and staff struggle with illness, grief, loss, or pain. That’s one way to describe what makes United Church Homes different and distinctive. We believe that…
Read MoreCharitable Estate Planning 101
There are many reasons for the lack of charitable giving in people’s estate plans, but a lack of charitable intent is not one of them. Consider the following example: John Smith is a widower in his 70’s with three children who are all on successful career paths. Mr. Smith has…
Read MoreA Culture of Inclusion: Acceptance and the LGBT Community
UCH recognizes that we need to make our communities safe and accepting places for all people. A Culture of Inclusion As America ages, so does its lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, creating both issues and opportunities for a generation of people who have lived relatively openly as themselves…
Read MoreYou, I Love
Janice was relieved to find Sandy there and stopped by to drop off clothes, letters, and pictures. All of the notes contained the message, “YIL.” No one except Sandy knew what that meant. The nurses met Janice outside, at her request, to retrieve items being left for Sandy. They invited…
Read MoreThe Power of Music
For the past year, United Church Homes has been a certified partner with Music & Memory, a nationally recognized program that encourages providing personalized music playlists to residents suffering from Alzheimer’s and related dementia. Music & Memory served as a centerpiece of UCH’s recent Centennial Celebration, with a third of…
Read More100th Celebration Retrospective
“The most important thing to remember about faith is that it is not apparent. Faith is promised, but never seen. If you think about the origins of United Church Homes, the people who put this beautiful organization in place never got to see what it looks like today, and the…
Read MoreBoard Presidents Corner
Since 1916, reflecting the faith tradition of the United Church of Christ, United Church Homes’ volunteer Board of Directors sets policy, oversees operations, and plans for the continuation of distinguished service to seniors. Varied backgrounds, interests, and expertise are reflected in the board membership, and the chairman of the board…
Read MoreAffordable Housing: Mission Centered
In association with the Retirement Housing Foundation (RHF) of California, UCH acquired the Firelands Retirement Centers in Lorain and Oberlin, Ohio. RHF exited the Firelands communities in 2002 and later the community in Oberlin was sold (2003) as was the community in Lorain (2009.) Through the efforts of United Church…
Read MoreUnited Church Homes: A Century of Transformation
United Church Homes is a byproduct of the law of cumulative effect — that is, what we do today is, by definition, added to the sum of what’s happened in the past. We are a ministry of promise, people, places, and programming. Ours is a story of growth and expansion,…
Read MoreMessages and Memories
From 1945-1954, he served on the Board of Trustees, six years as board president. After nine years as superintendent of the Home for the Aged, he transitioned to executive director in 1963. When Rev. Diller retired in 1976, he was recognized in perpetuity as executive director emeritus. Rev. Diller took…
Read More35+ Years of Service
UCH Central Office Thomas Lee 37 years of service Chapel Hill Community Brenda Withrow 36 years of service Linda Sweet 36 years of service Patricia Tallman 39 years of service Lela Diane Gajovski 40 years of service Fairhaven Community Diana Swankhouse 37 years of service Sonya Jarrell 38 years of…
Read MoreCelebrating 100 years
Chuck Hehr Born: 8/11/1916 Fairhaven Community Edith Jones Born: 3/2/1917 Fairhaven Community Evalyn Harper Born: 12/4/1916 Fairhaven Community Kathryn Gottfried Born: 9/10/1915 Fairhaven Community Pauline Pence Born: 7/11/1913 Fairhaven Community Gertrude Erwin Born: 2/26/1912 Friendship Village of Columbus Bertha Koenig Born: 10/18/1911 Friendship Village of Columbus Annie Robinson Born: 11/6/1915…
Read MoreMission Possible
As we piece together the reasons why the German Reformed Churches began this journey, we have to consider their common faith, language, heritage, and experience of aging at the beginning of the 20th century. It was the common mission with the church that made the idea possible. Common Faith. From…
Read More2015: The Year In Review
2015 was a year of expansion for United Church Homes with three new acquisitions and one new management contract, which resulted in a 25 percent growth to our aging services business. UCH also committed capital investments to support key projects at various communities including an aquatic center at Parkvue Community;…
Read MoreNew Aquatic Center Generates Ripples with Far Reaching Effects
“There is still more work to do.” Friends and family of Parkvue Community in Sandusky, Ohio, knowingly attribute this mantra to Mrs. Ruth Frost Parker. While her legacy lives on throughout United Church Homes, a more personal accomplishment remained…the fulfillment of her dream of an aquatic center to enrich the…
Read MoreScouts Spruce Up Space at Fairhaven
Working together, the girls weeded, mulched, planted flowers, painted a rock, and planned activities in the improved space. The final project included poems, music, prayer, and the release of hundreds of butterflies into the garden. To earn the Silver Award, the highest a Girl Scout cadet can earn, they…
Read MoreMatt Hatten: Nursing Hero
Matt was featured on the OHCA website (ohca.org) during the month of February, and will be recognized at its annual convention in May in Columbus. Mary Casey, administrator at Four Winds, says that Matt is passionate about serving the community and its residents. “It’s not unusual for staff, residents,…
Read MoreNollau Institute: United Church Homes Invests in Leaders
“A servant leader encourages others to embrace and share their God-given gifts to make life better for others,” said Amy. “When we work together and live the mission, vision and core values, we create and provide more abundant life for the people we serve.” Much of the program involves internal…
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