The Grand Tetons

I learned a long time ago that material things bring temporary happiness.

Don’t get me wrong. I love a good gift as much as the next person. A new pair of shoes, a pretty handbag, or the latest gadget can bring me joy. But eventually, the excitement wears off.

Memories, though? Those tend to stick around.

As a mom, I’ve been fortunate. Our son, Jude, has never been one to want a lot of things. We were blessed to provide what he needed growing up, along with plenty of those fun extras that make childhood special.

 Indian Rocks Beach, Florida

We made family vacations a priority. For years, that meant beaches, cruises, or just about anywhere with an ocean. As Jude got older, we began adding in-between trips around our beautiful home state of West Virginia, too.

But around the end of middle school, our birthday conversations became painfully predictable.

“What do you want for your birthday?”

“I don’t know.”

Every. Single. Year.

Eventually, I understood his response. He didn’t really need anything, and there wasn’t much he wanted.

So instead of asking what we could buy him, we started asking a different question.

Where could we take him?

And just like that, a family tradition was born.

Trading Presents for Memories

Hiking the Virgin River in The Narrows at Zion Nat’l Park

Instead of birthday gifts, we started giving Jude experiences. Places he’d always wanted to see, adventures we’d share, and memories that would hopefully last longer than anything wrapped in birthday paper.

Over the past few years, we’ve explored 12 National Parks including the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Yellowstone, Glacier, and all the classic ones. We’ve traveled through California, drove along the Pacific Coast Highway, stood inside giant sequoias and followed part of Lewis and Clark’s journey along the Missouri River.

This coming May, when Jude graduates from high school, we’re heading to Italy and Greece for one last big adventure before college.

Ancient ruins, centuries of history, and some of the most beautiful places in the world.

And probably a lot of coffee and pasta.

These trips have become some of our favorite family memories. But it wasn’t until I thought about a friend’s childhood story that I began to see them as something more.

The Station Wagon That Left a Legacy

 Kayaking in Lake McDonald, Glacier Nat’l Park

We have a friend in his mid-80s who often tells us about a cross-country trip his family took when he was just eight years old.

His parents packed him and his siblings into the back of a station wagon and hit the road.

No iPads. No streaming movies. No GPS. Just a family, a station wagon, and the open road.

More than 70 years later, he remembers that trip like it was yesterday.

He remembers the places, the scenery, and the time spent with his family. Some of his most vivid childhood memories came from that one adventure.

My husband and I love hearing his stories, especially when he describes places we’ve recently visited ourselves. It’s remarkable how some of those landscapes look almost exactly as they did when he saw them decades ago.

And here’s what strikes me.

His parents probably thought they were simply taking their kids on vacation. They had no idea they were creating memories their son would still be sharing 70 years later.

That’s legacy.

Not something they bought. Not something they left in a will. Just time together that became a story worth telling for a lifetime.

Walking through a Sequoia at Sequoia Nat’l Park

The Legacy Behind the Tradition

For our family, travel has also become a way to experience God’s creation firsthand.

There’s something humbling about standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon or beneath the towering mountains in Glacier National Park. You can’t help but marvel at the world God created.

Psalm 19:1 rings in my mind every time we travel, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”

And what a classroom He’s given us.

Whether we’re exploring national parks, learning about history, or preparing to walk among ancient Greek and Roman ruins, I pray Jude takes away more than photographs and souvenirs. I hope he develops a lifelong curiosity about the world, an appreciation for history, and a deeper understanding of the Creator behind it all.

Standing next to Black Pool at Yellowstone Lake

Of course, I realize not everyone can pack up and travel across the country. There was a time when we couldn’t either.

When Jude was younger, we explored the world through books, history lessons and places closer to home. Those experiences were just as important because they planted the seeds for the curiosity we now get to explore together.

Legacy isn’t measured in miles traveled, money spent, or destinations checked off a list. It’s measured in what we pass along.

For some families, it’s a recipe handed down through generations. For others, it’s a family farm, a holiday tradition, a favorite fishing spot, or stories told around the dinner table.

For us, travel has become one way of passing along what matters.

What I Hope He Carries With Him

I don’t know what Jude will remember about these trips 50 or 60 years from now. I hope he’ll be like my friend who still tells of the trips his family took.

Maybe it’ll be the mountains of Wyoming, the winding roads of California, or the wildlife in Yellowstone that we probably could have petted if we wanted to.

Or maybe it’ll be those long car rides spent talking about life, theology and making fun of each other. Eating gas station food for breakfast, lunch and dinner or remembering his Dad doesn’t listen to the GPS.

More than anything, I hope he remembers that we were there together.

And someday, if he has a family of his own, I hope he’ll share those stories and create traditions of his own.

Because the destination was never really the point.

The time together was.

And while these memories are part of the legacy my husband and I hope to leave our son, they’re not the most important part.

Father & Son at Lake Powell, AZ

Monument Valley, AZ

The greatest legacy we can give him is our faith.

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA

More than anything, we want Jude to know and love the God who created this incredible world we’ve been blessed to explore. We want him to recognize God’s goodness, appreciate His creation, and carry a heart of gratitude wherever life takes him.

The places we’ve visited are beautiful. The memories we’ve made are priceless.

But the faith we hope to pass on is eternal.

The birthday presents would have been forgotten. But maybe, just maybe, Jude will still be telling stories about our adventures when he’s 80.

And if those stories remind him of the people who loved him, the lessons he learned, and the God who made it all possible, then we’ve left him something far more valuable than anything we could have wrapped in a box.

That’s the kind of legacy I hope lasts.

Roosevelt Arch, Yellowstone Nat’l Park

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

United Church Homes Receives $30,000 in Grants to Provide NaviGuide Services for 101 Low-Income Older Adults

Funding from The Columbus Foundation and Harry C. Moores Foundation will provide three months of personalized service coordination for 101 older adults and support family caregivers.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — United Church Homes (UCH) has received two grants totaling $30,000 to provide NaviGuide service coordination subsidies for low-income older adults in Franklin and Delaware counties, helping more people age independently while reducing stress for family caregivers.

The funding includes a $25,000 grant from The Columbus Foundation and a $5,000 grant from the Harry C. Moores Foundation. Together, the grants will make NaviGuide more accessible to older adults who otherwise could not afford the service.

NaviGuide is a personalized service coordination program that connects older adults and their families with the services, resources and support they need to age well. Through a dedicated service coordinator, clients receive one-on-one assistance, needs assessments, care planning, referrals and ongoing guidance tailored to their individual circumstances.

“Many families suddenly find themselves responsible for coordinating care after a hospitalization, health crisis or change in circumstances, often with little knowledge of the services available to help,” said Kim Yoder, UCH Engage and NaviGuide program director. “These grants will allow us to connect more low-income older adults with the resources they need while providing peace of mind and support for family caregivers.”

“We believe every older adult deserves access to the resources and advocacy needed to age with dignity, confidence and purpose,” said Ken Young, president and CEO of United Church Homes. “We’re grateful to The Columbus Foundation and the Harry C. Moores Foundation for investing in older adults and their families. These grants help remove financial barriers to vital services and advance our mission.”

The monthly cost of NaviGuide is $99, which can be a challenge for many older adults living on fixed incomes. According to U.S. Census data, nearly 20% of Franklin County residents age 65 and older live on less than $25,000 annually. The new funding will help offset subscription costs, allowing vulnerable older adults to access professional service coordination at little or no cost. The grants will provide approximately three months of NaviGuide services for 101 older adults, representing nearly $30,000 in direct support for individuals and families navigating the challenges of aging.

NaviGuide service coordinators visit clients in their homes, develop personalized care plans and connect them with resources ranging from health care and transportation to community-based support programs and social services.

Using assessments focused on social determinants of health, NaviGuide identifies older adults at risk of isolation, anxiety, depression, chronic health issues and other challenges that can affect their well-being. The program works proactively to connect clients with supportive services and reduce unnecessary hospitalizations and emergency room visits.

The grants build on the success of previous subsidy funding that enabled 51 low-income older adults in Franklin and Delaware counties to access NaviGuide services. Participants and caregivers reported reduced stress, improved access to resources and greater confidence in managing care transitions.

United Church Homes expects the new funding to significantly expand NaviGuide’s reach over the coming year. Based in Columbus, the program serves older adults throughout Ohio and nationwide and continues to grow as part of the organization’s long-term strategy to help more people experience abundant aging.

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For more than a century, United Church Homes has been dedicated to transforming the lives of older adults with quality housing and compassionate care. Now recognized as the 19th largest multisite nonprofit senior living organization in the U.S., according to the 2025 LeadingAge Ziegler 200 ranking, UCH proudly serves nearly 7,000 residents across more than 90 vibrant communities in 15 states and two Native American nations. Driven by a mission to redefine aging, UCH creates a culture of community, wholeness and peace for those it has the honor to serve. United Church Homes continues to lead the way in shaping the future of senior living. 

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Symposium Explores How Intergenerational Connections Strengthen Communities, Improve Well-Being

COLUMBUS, Ohio – More than 150 people gathered in person and online Oct. 16 for the 11th Annual Symposium: Engaging Generations: Connecting Lives So All Can Thrive, a day-long event focused on the power of intergenerational relationships to build stronger, healthier communities.

Hosted by the Center for Abundant Aging at United Church Homes, the symposium was held at The Quest Conference Center in Columbus and brought together aging services professionals, educators, faith leaders, researchers, students and community advocates from across Ohio and beyond to explore innovative ways to connect people of all ages.

The annual event featured presentations and discussions led by experts from The Ohio State University, United Church Homes and other organizations working to advance intergenerational engagement and improve quality of life across generations.

“At a time when loneliness and disconnection affect people of every age, creating opportunities for meaningful relationships across generations has never been more important,” said Kenneth Young, president and CEO of United Church Homes. “This symposium demonstrates how communities can thrive when people intentionally learn from, support and engage with one another, regardless of age.”

Throughout the day, speakers shared research, best practices and real-world examples of programs that support connections between younger and older generations. Discussions highlighted the benefits of intergenerational engagement, including improved health and well-being, stronger communities and greater social connectedness.

“The symposium continues to bring together people who are passionate about creating a society where every generation is valued and included,” said Rev. Beth Long-Higgins, vice president of engagement and executive director of the Center for Abundant Aging at United Church Homes. “The conversations, ideas and relationships formed here help inspire action that strengthens individuals, families and communities throughout the year.”

Now in its 11th year, the Symposium has become a forum for exploring issues related to aging, community engagement and social connection. The event reflects United Church Homes’ commitment to transforming aging through innovation, education and advocacy.

The 12th Annual Symposium will be held in Columbus on Oct. 15, 2027.

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For more than a century, United Church Homes has been dedicated to transforming the lives of older adults with quality housing and compassionate care. Now recognized as the 19th largest multisite nonprofit senior living organization in the U.S., according to the 2025 LeadingAge Ziegler 200 ranking, UCH proudly serves nearly 7,000 residents across more than 90 vibrant communities in 15 states and two Native American nations. Driven by a mission to redefine aging, UCH creates a culture of community, wholeness and peace for those it has the honor to serve. United Church Homes continues to lead the way in shaping the future of senior living. 

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Canal Village Celebrates 40 Years of Affordable Housing
and Community in Canal Winchester

CANAL WINCHESTER, Ohio – Residents, staff, community partners and local leaders recently gathered to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Canal Village, recognizing four decades of providing affordable housing, independence and community for older adults in Canal Winchester.

The celebration welcomed Canal Winchester Mayor Joe Steager, representatives from the Canal Winchester Area Chamber of Commerce, local clergy, supporters and leaders from United Church Homes, which owns and operates the community. The event honored Canal Village’s role as a longstanding resource for older adults and the many partnerships that have helped the community thrive over the past 40 years.

Canal Village was the first affordable housing community developed by United Church Homes and continues to serve older adults seeking safe, affordable housing while remaining connected to the broader community. Located adjacent to David’s Way, another United Church Homes affordable housing community, Canal Village has provided generations of residents with a place to call home.

Nestled on beautifully maintained grounds, the community features a scenic pond and gazebo that offer opportunities for recreation, reflection and fellowship. Residents also benefit from the community’s convenient location near essential neighborhood resources, including a library, places of worship and food assistance programs.

“For 40 years, Canal Village has provided more than affordable housing. It has created a community where residents build friendships, find support and live with dignity and independence,” said Kenneth Young, president and CEO of United Church Homes. “This anniversary celebrates the residents, staff, volunteers and community partners whose commitment has made Canal Village such a special place.”

The celebration included remarks from residents and community leaders who reflected on the impact Canal Village has had on their lives and on the Canal Winchester community. Resident Paula Roberts shared her appreciation for the support and sense of belonging she has experienced at Canal Village.

The anniversary also highlighted the growing need for affordable housing for older adults. As housing costs continue to rise, communities like Canal Village remain essential in helping seniors maintain stable housing and access the services and support they need to age independently.

As Canal Village looks to the future, United Church Homes remains committed to its mission to provide a culture of community, wholeness and peace so all can experience abundant aging.

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For more than a century, United Church Homes has been dedicated to transforming the lives of older adults with quality housing and compassionate care. Now recognized as the 19th largest multisite nonprofit senior living organization in the U.S., according to the 2025 LeadingAge Ziegler 200 ranking, UCH proudly serves nearly 7,000 residents across more than 90 vibrant communities in 15 states and two Native American nations. Driven by a mission to redefine aging, UCH creates a culture of community, wholeness and peace for those it has the honor to serve. United Church Homes continues to lead the way in shaping the future of senior living. 

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That belief is at the heart of United Church Homes’ approach to employee development—and a key pillar of its long-term strategy.

Scott Slutz

“One of the things I’m most proud of is that investing in our teams is a major part of UCH’s ten-year strategic plan,” said Chief Resource Officer Scott Slutz.

“Leadership truly values employees – it’s part of our culture.”

Across the organization, that commitment shows up in meaningful ways. From frontline staff to senior leadership, employees are encouraged to grow through professional development opportunities that support lifelong learning, strengthening leadership skills and increase job satisfaction.

UCH invests in both individual growth and shared learning experiences. Leadership development programs, in particular, are playing a key role in shaping the organization’s future.

Nearly two dozen UCH staff have completed the year-long Nollau Leadership Institute, a program designed to cultivate leaders committed to creating a just, caring and compassionate world. The experience includes retreats at Bellwether Farm in Ohio, where participants engage in reflection, renewal and connection with peers.

Bellwether Farm

Bellwether Farm

UCH leaders have also participated in the national LeadingAge Leadership Academy, which focuses on reflective leadership practices and helping individuals better understand and apply their unique strengths. In addition, the LeadingAge Ohio Leadership Academy provides a seven-month experience for rising leaders, with an emphasis on team building, innovation and leading through change.

The impact of these programs is measurable. Currently, 11% of UCH’s leadership team has participated in one or more of these leadership academies, and the retention rate among those individuals is 70%—a strong indicator that investment in people leads to long-term engagement.

“We also partner with Aspire Consulting which provides specialized professional development and corporate training,” Slutz said. “We see these programs as opportunities to enhance performance and individuals’ growth. In 2025, UCH employees received more than 10,000 hours of training through our learning management system.”

For some, those opportunities have shaped an entire career.

Dan Miller, executive director of corporate compliance and UCH Management, has spent more than 30 years with the organization and has completed all three leadership programs—the Nollau Leadership Institute, the national LeadingAge Leadership Academy and LeadingAge Ohio’s Leadership Academy.

Dan Miller

“It’s a culture of learning and continuing education—UCH leadership really supports professional development,” Miller said. “I’m a lifelong learner, so participating in these programs has been a great experience.”

Today, Miller gives back by serving as a coach for LeadingAge Ohio’s Leadership Academy and mentoring future leaders through UCH’s Administrators in Training (AIT) program, which prepares individuals to become licensed nursing home administrators.

“I love supporting younger people who want to work in senior living,” he said. “I appreciate the opportunity to give back.”

Leaders gather for instruction at the 24/25 Nollau retreat.

That same spirit of growth extends beyond formal programs. UCH also encourages employees to take on stretch assignments—special projects that allow them to explore new areas of interest and expand their skill sets.

Miller experienced that firsthand when he pursued certification in healthcare compliance after a colleague’s retirement.

“The answer from leadership was an immediate yes,” he said.

For Slutz, that kind of support reflects a broader philosophy.

Leaders from across the organization were recognized in Columbus in 2025 for outstanding achievement in their roles.

“We want employees to have meaningful, positive experiences,” he said. “It’s a value proposition—not just for the organization, but for each individual. When our people grow, UCH grows.”

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As a child, I never questioned whether I would go to college—it was assumed. Many branches of our family tree include people who pursued higher education. Before immigrating to the United States, my paternal great-grandfather studied theology and business in Germany in the 1880s. My maternal great-aunt graduated from college in the 1920s and became a teacher. Their legacies, multiplied by those who came after them, carried a clear message: keep learning, pursue God’s will and remain curious. I recognize the privilege in those expectations and how much I have benefited from them.

Another ancestral legacy is the call to serve people. Our family tree is full of teachers and preachers—so many that my mother jokes my going into ministry shows this is a family “illness.” Here, perhaps, is where legacy can begin to feel like a burden. It was not assumed that I would pursue ordained ministry. And I tried not to place that assumption on our children.

I am the fourth generation of clergy in the same denomination, through our predecessor bodies, and I feel the responsibility to live up to those who came before me while at the same time claiming this tradition as my own. While researching United Church Homes at the time of our centennial, I discovered that my father’s uncle had chaired its board. That historical connection connected me more firmly in this vocational call and I take pride that he served during a very challenging period of time for the organization.

My sisters, Dave and I still direct a family camp that my father first directed 55 years ago. The camp is now a “thin” place for us, as it was for Dad, but in some years continuing that leadership has felt cumbersome—almost as if we had no choice.

Like all legacies, these gifts require discernment. We must decide what we will receive, which inheritances will shape us and how we will carry them forward.

Leaving a world for the people you love the most

We stand on legacies from those who have gone before, even as we build a legacy for those who will follow. This begins with recognizing that we will not live forever. After we die, the meaning of our lives will continue to echo in lives that carry on beyond our own.

I appreciate Bill McKibben’s definition of legacy in this video clip from the Stanford Center on Longevity:

“People have a real hunger to make a difference in the world….I think that that hunger is maybe strongest of all particularly at the end of your life. Until that time, legacy has been an abstract thing. Legacy is the world you leave behind for the people you love the most.”

An important part of McKibben’s legacy is his environmental work, bringing older adults together with others—especially younger generations—to change systems and structures that damage creation.

We do not all have to do the same thing. Each life rests on legacies connected to lived experience, ancestral history, culture and belief, and the communities around us.

Still, each of us can ask what matters most at this time in our lives. What aspirations does the divine use to fuel our imagination about the world we hope to shape now and leave for future generations? What skills and passions give us energy to work toward that vision?

Legacy is an act of faith and trust

Facing mortality also requires us to release control of the outcome. No matter how many instructions we leave—or whether we pass them through lawyers, clergy or family—we cannot control how future generations receive our work or its impact.

Consider Moses, who led the formerly enslaved people out of Egypt and through 40 years in the wilderness. At the heart of his leadership guiding the people was connecting them as a community with God. He brought them the tablets with the Commandments, taught them songs to remember what God had done and defended them before God. His work rested on God’s promise to Abraham and Sarah that the people would have a place where they belonged.

Moses’ story ends in Deuteronomy 34 on the shore of the Jordan River, with the promised land in sight. He never set foot there. He died after a long life, and the people mourned before following Joshua, the new leader, across the river.

We give our time and resources to people and causes because we can envision a better world. The challenge of legacy is accepting that we can only do what is ours to do—and that we may never see the realized vision that guided our hope and action.

Ultimately, is legacy about setting down a plan and ensuring everything is in place for future generations? Or is it about living in ways—through our choices and relationships—that reflect what we believe? When those who knew us remember our daily decisions, perhaps our legacy becomes a foundation for their own choices as they live faithful lives with the gifts and imagination they hold.

It is a privilege to consider what we hope our legacy will be, and to learn from those who came before us. My hope is that what I leave will not burden those who follow. I strive to do the best I can today and know that the world framing their lives may be very different from mine. Their choices will look different, too. May any legacy I leave offer not a script they must follow, but a foundation from which their decisions and lives can benefit.

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At its heart, person-centered care means remembering that a person is more than their diagnosis, age, care needs, or daily routine.

It’s asking, “What matters to you?”—not simply, “What do you need help with?”

For older adults, caregivers and families supporting someone they love, this distinction can make a meaningful difference. Care becomes less about managing a list of tasks and more about supporting a life that still has purpose, preferences, relationships, and possibilities.

Care for the person—not just the needs

Imagine two people who both need help getting dressed in the morning.

A task-focused approach might be: Get them dressed as efficiently as possible.

A person-centered approach asks additional questions:

• What clothes does this person like to wear?
• Do they prefer to get dressed before breakfast or afterward?
• Can they do part of the process independently?
• What makes them feel comfortable, confident, or like themselves?
• Are there cultural, spiritual, or personal preferences we should honor?

The practical task hasn’t changed. The experience has.

Person-centered care recognizes that independence isn’t always about doing everything alone. Sometimes it’s about having choices, being heard, and participating in decisions—even when someone needs substantial assistance.

Start with “What matters to you?”

One of the simplest ways to practice person-centered care is to have better conversations.

Instead of asking only: “What do you need?”

Try asking: “What matters most to you right now?”

The answer might be surprisingly ordinary.

Maybe it’s having coffee on the porch every morning. Calling a grandchild on Sunday. Going to church. Listening to favorite music. Gardening. Staying in a beloved home. Having lunch with friends. Choosing what to wear. Taking a daily walk. Celebrating a birthday with the whole family.

These things can easily get pushed aside when appointments, medications, meals, transportation, and safety concerns take center stage.

Yet the small things are often what make a day feel like your own.

Intentional living doesn’t require a perfect plan

Intentional living simply means making thoughtful choices about how we spend our time, energy, relationships, and attention. It doesn’t require a major life overhaul.

Try this simple exercise together:

1. Name what matters.
   Choose three things that bring meaning, comfort, connection, or joy.

2. Identify what’s getting in the way.
   Is it transportation? Fatigue? Mobility? Technology? A lack of companionship? Too many appointments?

3. Find one small adjustment.
   Could a family member provide transportation once a week? Could a favorite activity be adapted rather than abandoned? Could errands be combined to create more time for something enjoyable?

4. Revisit the plan.
   Needs and preferences change. What matters today may not be what matters six months from now.

Person-centered care isn’t a one-time questionnaire. It’s an ongoing conversation.

Families and caregivers matter, too

Supporting someone you love can create a difficult tension: You want to help, but you also want to respect their independence.

One useful question is: “Would you like help with that, or would you like me to stay nearby?”

That small shift can preserve choice while still offering support.

Caregivers also need person-centered care themselves. Your needs, boundaries, relationships, rest, and interests matter. Supporting someone else shouldn’t require you to disappear from your own life.

When possible, build care around shared strengths. Maybe one family member handles transportation, another manages paperwork, and another makes regular social visits. Professional caregivers, neighbors, faith communities, and friends can also become part of a broader support network.

Look beyond the care plan

A care plan can tell us what someone needs medically or functionally. But a life plan asks a different question: What kind of life does this person want to keep living?

That might include goals such as:

• Staying connected with friends.
• Remaining involved in a favorite hobby.
• Maintaining spiritual or cultural practices.
• Continuing to make personal decisions.
• Spending more time outdoors.
• Reconnecting with family.
• Learning something new.
• Contributing through volunteering, mentoring, or helping others.

These goals deserve attention alongside medical appointments and safety plans.

A practical place to begin

If you’re an older adult, caregiver, or loved one, consider having a “What Matters” conversation this week.

Ask: “What is one thing that would make your everyday life better right now?”

Then listen without immediately solving the problem.

Sometimes the answer will point toward a practical change. Sometimes it will reveal a deeper concern. And sometimes, simply being asked—and genuinely heard—can be meaningful.

For additional guidance, explore resources from organizations such as the National Institute on Aging, Administration for Community Living, and AARP, which offer information on aging, caregiving, independence, and planning for the future. And of course, continue to follow the Abundant Focus Blog Series.

Person-centered care, really, isn’t a complicated philosophy.

It’s a commitment to seeing the whole person.

Not just what they need help with, but who they are.
Not just how to keep them safe, but what makes life worth living.
Not just what happens to them, but what choices remain theirs to make.

And sometimes, intentional living begins with one simple question: “What matters to you?”

Find a United Church Homes senior living community near you!

by: Dale Brown– The Trinity Community at Beavercreek, Social Services Designee

Stay Connected and Live Life Abundantly

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Counselors and staff guided me throughout each week, sharing their experiences and opening my eyes to a world beyond my own. I still think of Kat, one of the last counselors I had. She was from New Zealand and told us stories about life on the other side of the world. When I struggled to keep up with the rest of the cabin on the rock-climbing wall, she stayed with me, guided me and cheered me on. Those moments revealed how camp can bring generations together: older mentors pass along their knowledge and stories, while younger campers carry those lessons forward. Those memories stayed with me and inspired me to imagine working at a camp someday, although the right opportunity had yet to come along.

That changed in the spring of 2026, when I learned that I would be returning to the wilderness to help bring the camp experience to the next generation. I was once again anticipating the weeks I would spend at summer camp, though this time through a different lens. It was my turn to be a guide and lend a helping hand to our campers. I was filled with both excitement and nerves. Would I be a good fit for my campers? Would they like me? Would I be a good mentor?

My nervousness began to fade as soon as I arrived. My fellow counselors greeted me with warmth and joy, made sure I had something to eat before settling in, and included me from day one. My co-counselor, Natalie, an older millennial, became my guide during those weeks. As a seasoned counselor, she was confident and calm, and she gave me plenty of opportunities to catch my breath. I quickly learned that neither of us was afraid to put ourselves out there or sacrifice our coolness for the sake of the campers. Our outgoing personalities and shared ability to bring the campers together helped us connect. We also exchanged stories about where we grew up. Natalie’s journey from New York to New England and then San Diego gave her plenty of interesting stories, compared to mine from Ohio. Nonetheless, we found plenty of common ground.

My campers were some of the most interesting kids I had ever met. If there was one thing I learned, it was that they were undeniably and unapologetically themselves. I worried that we would have nothing in common, but they constantly reminded me of my younger self.

One camper and I bonded over our love for a sketch-comedy YouTube channel. We quoted it to each other and shared our favorite moments and memories. Another camper told me about a mixtape their father had made for them to listen to as they fell asleep. Many of the songs were classics from my childhood, and we played them as we got ready each morning. A handful of campers and I also connected over our experiences with mental health challenges and overstimulation; we were there for each other. Over the course of that week in the woods, sleeping in the night breeze, hiking around camp, and sharing everyday moments, we built memories that would last far beyond our time together. I learned that we are more alike that I previously thought. I learned that these kids are incredibly creative, hilarious, and are capable to achieving anything they can come up with.

Years after counselors like Kat made camp feel larger than life, I finally understood what it meant to create that experience for someone else. I arrived hoping to become a guide for my campers, but I left recognizing how much I had learned from Natalie, my fellow counselors, and the campers themselves. I left with hope for our next generation and excitement to see how they change the world.

Camp had once given me memories to carry forward; now, I hope that one day my campers will think of me and remember their time at camp just as fondly.

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United Church Homes Donates 43 Gravesites in Oak Hill Cemetery

to Support Wyandot County Residents in Need

UPPER SANDUSKY, Ohio (Sept. 30, 2026) United Church Homes has donated 43 gravesites in Oak Hill Cemetery in Crane Township to help ensure that local residents experiencing financial hardship have access to a dignified final resting place.

The gravesites, located in Oak Hill Cemetery and maintained by Crane Township, will be reserved for individuals who otherwise may not be able to afford burial expenses. Crane Township will receive no revenue from the use of the gravesites, which will remain dedicated solely for community benefit.

The gift recognizes United Church Homes’ deep roots in Upper Sandusky. The city was home to The Fairhaven Community, the organization’s first senior living community and a foundational part of its history. Although the former Fairhaven campus is now operated by VanCrest of Upper Sandusky, United Church Homes maintains a strong connection to the community where its legacy of service first began in 1916.

“At United Church Homes, our mission of serving older adults calls us to serve with compassion and stewardship while honoring the dignity of every person,” said Kenneth Young, president and CEO of United Church Homes. “Upper Sandusky holds a special place in our history. By donating these gravesites for charitable use, we are honoring that legacy while helping ensure that members of this community have access to a dignified burial regardless of their financial circumstances. We are grateful for the opportunity to give back to a community that helped us grow into a nationwide, faith based, nonprofit organization providing quality housing, healthcare and services to those in need.”

Mark Walton, Crane Township trustee, said the donation reflects a shared commitment to serving the community.

“We are grateful to United Church Homes for this generous gift,” Walton said. “These gravesites will provide an important resource for residents and families facing difficult circumstances. This donation demonstrates the value of community partnership and ensures that people in need are treated with dignity and respect.”

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For more than a century, United Church Homes has been dedicated to transforming the lives of older adults with quality housing and compassionate care. Now recognized as the 19th largest multisite nonprofit senior living organization in the U.S., according to the 2025 LeadingAge Ziegler 200 ranking, UCH proudly serves nearly 7,000 residents across more than 90 vibrant communities in 15 states and two Native American nations. Driven by a mission to redefine aging, UCH creates a culture of community, wholeness and peace for those it has the honor to serve. United Church Homes continues to lead the way in shaping the future of senior living. 

The post United Church Homes Donates 43 Gravesites in Oak Hill Cemetery to Support Wyandot County Residents in Need appeared first on United Church Homes.

Recently, I moved from Wapakoneta to the Cincinnati area to live more fully into my calling as a pastor. It was one of those moves filled with boxes, goodbyes, excitement, grief, too many trips back and forth, and that strange feeling of knowing your life is changing while you are still standing in the middle of it.

Somewhere in all of that, I found myself thinking about the things we carry with us: stories, habits, prayers, ways of loving people, little things we do because someone before us did them first. Long before I became a pastor, I learned something about all of that in a bakery.

A Little Bakery in Wapakoneta

In 1995, my mother, Beth, started Beth’s Bakery in Wapakoneta. She made cookies, birthday cakes, graduation cakes, wedding cakes, and all those sweet things that somehow end up sitting right in the middle of some of the biggest moments of our lives.

There is something kind of wonderful about that when you think about it. A cake is rarely just a cake. It sits in the background of photographs. It gets cut while people are laughing. It gets surrounded by candles and wishes and people singing slightly off-key. It marks the moment when someone says, “We made it.”

And in our bakery, sometimes it got prayed over.

From the very beginning, my mother had a practice. Before a wedding cake left the bakery, we prayed over it. Every one. Before it was loaded into the car and driven off to a church, ballroom, barn, reception hall, or wherever two people were about to begin a life together, there was a prayer.

A prayer for the couple, for their marriage, and for whatever joys, heartaches, surprises, and ordinary Tuesdays were waiting for them somewhere down the road.

Most couples never knew. It was not on the invoice. There was no little line that said: Wedding cake. Delivery. Buttercream flowers. Prayer included.

It was just something we did. Part of the work. Part of the love.

Then the Hands Changed

Fast-forward to 2020, when I took over the bakery. There were recipes to carry forward, traditions to keep, things I wanted to change, things I probably should not have changed, and 25 years of history already baked into the walls.

But there was one thing I knew would continue.

Before a wedding cake left the bakery, I prayed over it.

The hands changed. The prayer did not.

For a while, that simply felt like one of the traditions I had inherited from my mother. Then something began to happen that made me see it differently.

Every once in a while, we would realize that a couple sitting across from us talking about their wedding cake had a connection to one we had made years before. And sometimes that connection was this: my mother had made their parents’ wedding cake.

That still amazes me.

Years earlier, my mom had stood in that bakery putting the finishing touches on a cake for two young people about to begin their life together. Then she prayed over it, and off it went.

Then life did what life does. Years passed. A marriage unfolded. A family grew. Children were born. Those children got older. And one day, one of them walked back through the same bakery door.

Now they were the one getting married. There was another cake on the table, another beginning, another family gathering, another prayer.

Only this time, I was the one praying.

I love that because no one planned it. My mother was not standing there all those years ago thinking, “Maybe someday their daughter will come back here and Anthony will make her wedding cake.” She was simply faithfully doing what she knew to do in that moment: make the cake, pray the prayer, send it out into the world.

And somehow, decades later, the story came back around.

Watching Families Grow Up in Frosting

It wasn’t just weddings, either. We saw it with birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, baby showers, and all those little markers we use to say: something happened here. Someone grew. Someone changed. Someone made it. Someone is beginning again.

There were children whose birthday cakes my mom had made who eventually became parents ordering birthday cakes for children of their own. Families came back again and again until we knew their names, their traditions, their favorite flavors, and sometimes what they were going to order before they even ordered it.

A graduation cake became a wedding cake. A wedding cake became a baby shower cake. A baby shower cake became a first birthday cake.

And suddenly you realized you had been watching a family grow up in frosting.

There is something wonderfully ordinary about that. And wonderfully holy.

The Things We Carry

I think connection across generations often happens this way. Sometimes it is immediate and fleeting: a conversation after church, a story shared over coffee, a teenager teaching someone how to use an app, an older adult saying one sentence that sticks with you for the next twenty years.

Sometimes it happens so naturally that we barely notice. A recipe gets passed down. A family saying gets repeated. A prayer becomes familiar. Someone starts doing something simply because they watched someone else do it for years.

And sometimes it takes a very long time to reveal itself. Years. Decades, even. Sometimes you do not know you are part of the story until the story circles back around and taps you on the shoulder.

That is what those wedding cakes began to teach me.

These connections matter because none of us becomes who we are alone. We are shaped by what others hand to us, and by what we choose to hand forward.

Today, I am no longer standing behind the counter at Beth’s Bakery. I am serving a congregation in the Cincinnati area.

Different building. Different work. Less buttercream. Usually.

But in some ways, the work feels strangely familiar. I am still invited into people’s sacred moments: weddings, funerals, baptisms, birthdays, illness, beginnings, endings, and ordinary Sundays that do not feel especially important until years later when you realize they were.

I am still listening to stories. Still receiving things handed down. Still wondering what needs to be carried forward. Still wondering what we are planting now that someone else may one day inherit.

We do not always know what will last. We do not know which story someone will remember, which habit they will keep, which kindness they will repeat, or which prayer they will whisper years later because they once heard someone else whisper it first.

Sometimes we simply do the faithful thing in front of us and trust the story to keep moving.

My mother began praying over wedding cakes in 1995. She could not have known where all those prayers would travel. She could not have known that some of them would come wandering back through the bakery door a generation later.

But they did.

And there I was. Another cake. Another beginning. Another prayer.

The hands had changed, but the prayer was still being passed along.

Maybe that is one small glimpse of Abundant Aging. Not simply growing older, but growing deeper into the awareness that our lives are connected to lives before us and lives after us; receiving, remembering, passing along, and letting our stories spill gently into one another.

And every once in a while, we are given the gift of seeing something we thought belonged to the past show up again—still alive, still moving, still blessing the next generation.

A Few Questions to Carry With You

• What practice or tradition in your life came to you from someone before you?
• Who taught you something important without ever really sitting down to teach you?
• What story, recipe, prayer, saying, or ritual do you hope someone else carries forward?
• When has someone much older or younger than you changed the way you see something?
• What are you doing today that may still be shaping someone long after you are gone?
• What might already be living in you that was handed down so quietly you almost missed it?

One more question: what are you doing with what has been handed to you?

What are you carrying forward, and who might one day carry it after you?

Maybe that is the invitation—to notice the stories, wisdom, love, and practices already moving between us, and to keep passing along what gives life.

That, too, is a call to Abundant Aging.

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