For decades St. John’s Lutheran Church in Emmaus has supported the work of Liberty’s Lutheran Congregational Services. The church goes well beyond just sending money when it comes to helping others. They invest their heart, soul and body into serving.
I thank my mom, Miriam Hoffman, for giving me a heart for older adults. Mom was a geriatric nurse. When I was growing up, she would take me along with her to nursing homes to visit her patients. I would attend their Christmas parties and other festivities. As a child, I loved it. I would become their surrogate grandchild.
In January 2011, I joined the Planned Giving committee at Liberty Lutheran. I have had family connections to Liberty for even longer, as my grandmother-in-law lived at Artman for a long time, and my Aunt has served on several board committees.
My connection with Liberty Lutheran first began in the early 2000s when the Advancement Department was running a capital giving campaign at Paul’s Run. My mother was a resident at Paul’s Run for quite some time. She first moved into Independent Living, and then transitioned through each level of care until she passed. Having quite a connection to the community, I gave over the course of a three year period, and from there I was invited to join Liberty’s Board of Directors. I guess they figured I was a good guy.
I’ve been involved in disaster response work since 2004 and started as a volunteer on the Gulf Coast in Mobile, Alabama following Hurricane Ivan. Throughout the years I have served in a variety of roles from construction to long-term recovery group coordination. I’ve also served with two Lutheran Social Service agencies before transitioning into the role of Program Director for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America’s (ELCA) Lutheran Disaster Response-US (LDR-US) program, which is where I am now.
My journey with Liberty Lutheran started around 15 years ago under a trying circumstance. The church which I attend had fallen victim to a fire, and I was asked to head up the reconstruction.
The West Philadelphia Senior Community Center (WPSCC) provides a vibrant environment for older adults to engage in activities that stimulate the mind, body, and spirit. When I first went to the Center, I could feel the warmth extended through the friendships that the members shared.
Our mother had been living in a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) for 10 years when she developed dementia. We found that the CCRC was not able to provide the activities and social opportunities that she needed. Despite our best efforts she was becoming more and more withdrawn. Several professionals we consulted recommended a move to a memory care unit and when we visited the unit at The Hearth, we knew that this was a place where our mother could be happy and thrive.
The board of The Friends of Paul’s Run appreciates all the different services being provided to the community at no additional expense during the COVID-19 pandemic. We felt that it was our responsibility to financially support these services, which have been so important for the safety of the community.
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