Commun ty MattersFulton Presbyterian Manor March 2015

Presbyterian Manors rooted in GenerosityWe often recall the story of Alice Kalb, who at 90 traveled to a 1947Presbyterian Synod of Kansas meeting to ask for a retirement community inKansas. According to Edwin Shafer, senior vice president of development, what Mrs.Kalb basically told the Synod was: “If I give you all the money I have, will youbuild a home for the aging?” Her heart-felt offer symbolized the plight of agrowing number of seniors needing the church’s help. Kalb’s initiative led afarmer from Wakarusa,Kan., to bequeath his farmto the new project. Thesale of that land upon hisdeath provided the fundsfor the first building ofNewton PresbyterianManor. Today, philanthropy atPMMA is evidencedthrough communitypartnerships, capitalcampaigns, GoodSamaritan Program giving,special projects campaigns,and planned giving.Many of PMMA’s 18 communities were opened with the help of localfundraising campaigns. There were donations of land for the Clay Center, FortScott, Olathe and Topeka locations. In addition, coalitions of citizens, churchesand business leaders raised money for buildings in the Dodge City, Emporia,Parsons and Rolla.Through the years, capital campaigns have enabled PMMA communities tocontinue expanding services and remodeling campuses. Over the past eightyears, Shafer said, there have been four capital campaigns.

Good Samaritan Program PMMA’s Good Samaritan Benevolent Care Program provides close to $4million a year to touch the lives of nearly 400 residents, Shafer said. Mailings

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Spring is forthe birdsThe activities department has beenbusy since mid-winter preparing for thethe return of spring and all those lovelylittle birds. Activity Assistant Beth Boydworked with several residents onmaking birdhouses, some woven fromreeds and rattan to make them naturallyweather-proof. “We saw a picture of these wonderfulteardrop-shaped birdhouses andthought they would be fun and easy tomake. Boy were we wrong, Well half-wrong anyway. They are fun to make,but not easy. We broke several piecestrying to put it together. Once you getpast all that, it is kind of easy weavingthe rattan strips round-and-round,”Beth said.When all the houses are finished we'llhang them outside in the trees to offerthose birds returning for spring a placeto stay.

Helen Epple, right, shows off some of thebirdhouses that were made including thebright yellow one she painted. Activity Assis-tant Beth Boyd works on a woven bird-house. 

“You have not lived today until youhave done something

for someone who can never repay you.”

— JOHN BUNYAN

is published monthly for residents and friends of Fulton Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of

501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at PresbyterianManors.org.Dawn Smith, executive director

To submit or suggest articles for this publication, contact kedwards 2@pmma.org.

Telephone: 573-642-6646Fax: 573-642-2202Address: 811 Center St., Fulton, MO 65251-1922

Our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.

FultonPresbyterianManor.org

Community Matters

Keri Edwards, marketing director

2 COMMUNITY MATTERS MARCH 2015

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GENEROSITY continued from page 1other events and efforts to raise moneyfor special projects, often suggested andspearheaded by residents.

A couple of months ago, for exampleLawrence’s soft-serve ice creammachine, donated to the campus 15years ago, could no longer be repaired.So residents kicked off a campaign toraise the money for a replacement. In amatter of two weeks, they reached the$15,000 goal.

Planned giving“We promote gifts through wills andtrusts as way for someone to ‘pay itforward,’” Shafer said. Wills and trustshave resulted in millions of dollars givento PMMA through the years. All of

are sent throughout the year to enlistsupport from friends. The GoodSamaritan Program allows residents toremain in their apartments even afterthey have exhausted their financialresources.

A similar mail solicitation is conductedin late summer/early fall to benefit theEmployee Scholarship Fund, whichreimburses employees for tuition forapproved classes.

Some campuses have special eventfundraising programs, usuallybenefitting each campus’ GoodSamaritan Program.

Special projectsPresbyterian Manor communities have

those funds are invested in thecommunities, he said. Donors maydesignate which location will benefit.

Shafer said one of the most popularestate planning gifts is the charitablegift annuity. It is referred to as a “lifeincome gift.” because the donorreceives income for his or herlifetime at a specified percentagebased on the donor’s age at the timeof the gift. Donors for theseannuities must be at least 65.Generally, older donors will receivea higher return rate, Shafer said. Formore information about plannedgiving, contact Shafer ateshafer@pmma.org or call 800-336-8511.

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In 2006, SSM Health Care of St. Louis moved its St.Joseph’s Hospital from a site in Kirkwood, Mo. Aspart of this hospital relocation, SSM Health Careissued a request for proposals to determine what todo with the old hospital campus site. PresbyterianManors of Mid-America’s proposal for a continuingcare retirement community was selected as theproject to beconstructed onthe old hospitalsite.

PMMA’s 18thsenior livingcommunityknown asAberdeenHeights openedin September2011. Uponcompletion,Aberdeen Heightswould include 243 independent living apartments, 30assisted living apartments, 15 residential-style memorycare rooms and 38 private nursing rooms. AberdeenHeights is PMMA’s fourth senior living community inMissouri, joining the communities in Farmington, Fultonand Rolla.

In August 2012, PMMA announced plans for a majorrepositioning of its Wichita Presbyterian Manor campus.The project would encompass nearly two-thirds of thegrounds by replacing existing independent living cottagesand the assisted living and health care areas with newbuildings, completed in two phases.

The first phase encompassed new assisted livingapartments including 24 assisted living memory caresuites and a new health care neighborhood with dedicatedshort-term rehabilitation suites and new common areasfor all levels of care. The amenities include a new chapel,

bistro, beauty salons forindependent, assistedliving and health careareas and a new kitchenfor the entire campus.

The first phase was completed in late2014 with health care residentsmoving into their new building inNovember, and the assisted livingresidents moving into their newresidences in December.

Phase II of the repositioning of theWichita campus will include 90independent living apartments in a

new three-story building known as The Westerly. Thissecond phase began in December 2014 with demolition ofthe previous health care and assisted living buildings. TheWesterly is slated to open in late 2015.

The first phase of Wichita Presbyterian new construction was completed in2014. The second phase is slated to open in late 2015.

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Missouri gets new campus; Wichita campus is rebornThis month, we conclude our look at the history of Presbyterian Manors of Mid-Americaas we celebrate the organization’s 65th anniversary.

AberdeenHeights inKirkwood,Mo. sits onthe site ofthe formerSt. Joseph’sHospital.

Coming up in Community Matters:Community Matters will focus on Older American’sMonth in an upcoming issue. The 2015 theme is“Getting into the Act.” How were you involved in your community? Did youserve in public office or otherwise participate in civicgovernment? What was your experience like?If you have a story totell, contact KeriEdwards to share youridea. Your story maybe selected for thenext issue of yourcommunitynewsletter.

One winter’s day in January, student“heroes” from the Williamsburg ElementarySchool made a visit for an afternoon filledwith bingo, bringing a bit of sunshine withtheir visit. “These are some of the beststudents,” said Activity Director Jeff Young.“They are the ones that help other studentsto do their best. This field trip to come visitus was a reward a year in the making.”  

The students planned the trip and the activity and were thrilled to be able tointeract with so many different residents. The students not only got to assist uswith the game, they also visited with many who weren’t able to attend. It reallydid brighten up everyone’s day to see those smiling little faces.

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Fulton Presbyterian Manor811 Center St.Fulton, MO 65251-1922

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Students bring sunshine to seniors

Daylight saving timebegins Sunday, March8. Be sure to “springforward” and set yourclocks ahead one hour.

Resident Carol Woolridge enjoys somebingo and the company of a WilliamsburgElementary student. 

Naomi Boone (left) and Shirley Payne strike upfriendships with young visitors. 

Catch them in the actNew employee incentive program rewards extra effortYou already know about the Bravo Program, a way torecognize employees for going above and beyond thecall of duty. Human Resource Director Debra Bates hasdecided to go above and beyond for employeerecognition with a new program called “Toss a Coin.”

“I actually wanted to start the program because we allwork so hard, and even though we have the BravoProgram, I thought it would be great way to rewardstaff for being on their A-game. The coin fairy will bevisiting halls and departments giving treasures forawesome work,” Debra said.

What will these coinsearn employees?

“They can either havea free lunch or get agoodie bag from my office,” Debra said. “We’ll have someteam building and small gifts. I discussed it with employeesand they are all for it.”

If you’d like to let Debra know about an employee who hasshown exceptional service or dedication, contact her at573-642-6646 or dbates@pmma.org.