Appreciation for Brio’s Faith-Based Mission
“I thank God every day that I’m here [at Cook Valley Estates]. It’s the best thing that could ever have happened. It makes life a little easier.”—Betty Dykstra, Cook Valley Estates resident
The parents of four children, Betty and her husband, Peter, ran a wholesale potato and onion business, started by Peter’s father during the Depression. Peter managed and grew the company; Betty worked in the office and joined the Ladies’ Auxiliary of the United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association.
One of the members lived at Porter Hills Village and arranged a tour there for an Auxiliary meeting. Betty was so impressed that she went home and told her husband about Porter Hills Village. She shares that she would bring it up from time to time with Peter. One day when they were out, he drove into the Porter Hills Village entrance.
“It was a God thing that took us to Porter Hills Village,” Betty remembers. “A sales team member who was leaving for the day saw us in the parking lot and offered to give us a tour. We liked the continuum of care it offered.”
She and Peter moved to Cook Valley Estates in 2001. “We were one of the first to move in,” says Betty. “It’s the longest I have lived in one place in my life.”
Peter passed away in 2018 after an illness, and Emmanuel Hospice (a Brio Living Services partnership) helped take care of him in their Cook Valley Estates apartment.
A 72-year member of East Leonard Christian Reformed Church, Betty says she likes the fact that Brio Living Services is faith-based. “I enjoy the chaplains and attend Bible study once a week. It’s nice to have that comfort, and I appreciate the mosaic of faiths that live here. I’m so happy we came here.”
The Dykstras have supported the UMRC-Porter Hills Foundation for many years, including as Legacy Society members with a planned gift. In 2007, Peter shared, “Once you count your blessings and realize how much you’ve been blessed, you realize that you can share that blessing with others.”
Learn how you can become a member of the UMRC-Porter Hills Foundation’s Legacy Society, or to make a gift that makes a difference in the lives of older adults TODAY!
This blog is sponsored by All-Med Medical Supply, a TwinMed Company, a Live Life with Brio Bronze Sponsor! Your thoughtful gift brings joy to the older adults we serve and our team members.
