In order to solidify its engagement with specific community churches and congregation members, United Church Homes recently launched its new CHALICE Partner Program. The inaugural event took place at Trinity Community in Beavercreek at the end of May. The event saw good turnout, and Trinity Community was pleased to have 2014’s Rev. Dr. Ben M. Herbster award winners, Shaun and Susan Nicholson, in attendance. They were honored this night because they were unable to attend the annual donor recognition dinner held at Beavercreek Golf Club in June.

Shaun and Susan Nicholson are fervent volunteers at Trinity Community. Susan began volunteering at Trinity when her father, Delbert Nestrick, moved there in 1999. She continued to help out as her uncle, Olen Nestrick, and Shaun’s mother, Carolyn Nicholson, needed long-term care. For many years she worked with Brian Gregg in Trinity’s therapy department to help him transport her many friends at Trinity to and from therapy. Every spring, Susan and her father would plant a garden, growing flowers and tomatoes to share. Both Susan and Shaun have made many wonderful friends at Trinity, and continue to recommend and refer many people. Congratulations on being the 2014 Rev. Dr. Ben M. Herbster Award recipients.

Representatives from Kettering Hospital were also present for the CHALICE event, offering bone density scans for those present. The speaker for the evening was Individualized Medical Consultant Travis Gibbs of PGXL Laboratories, featuring a discussion on genetic testing to help shed light on the technical advances in medicine.

“The CHALICE program paves the way for building relationships and support within congregations, churches and individuals within our United Church Homes communities. CHALICE not only promotes financial support for the mission of UCH, but strongly encourages direct engagement and volunteer participation in this ministry,” says Rev. Beth Long-Higgins, director of church and community relations for United Church Homes.

Please visit our website at www.unitedchurchhomes.org for information on the CHALICE program. Our next event will be held at Trinity Community at Fairborn (formerly Patriot Ridge) in Fairborn, Ohio, on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2014. The focus for this event will be on holistic healing. If you need additional information about the event or additional registration forms, please contact either Jennifer Gibbs (JGibbs@uchinc.org), 937.416.4726 or Beth Long-Higgins (BLong-Higgins@uchinc.org), 740.361.3354.