Meet our donors!
Read about the good that comes from your support for older adults.
Meet Our Donors—Nelson Lumm
Grateful. Thankful. Blessed. These are the words that Porter Hills Village resident Nelson Lumm lives by and which guide his giving.
Nelson’s commitment to stewardship began at an early age. In the 10th grade, he became involved with Youth Budget, a national stewardship program in the Presbyterian church that encouraged senior high youth groups to learn more about how church budgets work. Nelson’s pastor invited him to visit other youth groups and talk about stewardship and the ways gifts to the church were used to provide Christian education and activities. In 1957, at the age of 14, Nelson got his first part-time job at an advertising company. He took this opportunity to pledge $1 a week to his church.
“For me, the giving process is so much of who I am,” says Nelson. “My stewardship is not episodic, but habitual.” Nelson gives to churches and to programs that have had an influence on his life—like the UMRC-Porter Hills Foundation. His thoughtfulness supports primarily Benevolent Care and Team Member Support Services at Porter Hills Village, his home since 2019.
Nelson graduated from Alma College, where he met his wife, Marney, and from the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. The couple has three children and six grandchildren. Nelson served as the pastor at Paw Paw Presbyterian Church for 28 years.
As an only child, Nelson says relationships are especially important to him. In his retirement, he continues to nurture the friendships he has made with his fellow clergy and to mentor and encourage others, particularly around stewardship.
“My duty now is in the tree planting business,” says Nelson. “I hope people will enjoy the shade of the trees from the seeds I plant today.”
Meet Our Donors—Fred W. Ford
Leaving a legacy is a lasting reflection of your life’s work—your interests, values, and beliefs. Fred W. Ford’s abiding faith and passion for serving others was evident during his lifetime, and that legacy lives on through his generous estate gift to the UMRC-Porter Hills Foundation. His thoughtfulness included not only cash, but property as well.
An influential member of the community of Munith, Michigan in Jackson County, Fred was a pillar of the Farmers State Bank of Munith where he began working in 1924 as a clerk. Its motto, “The Bank Where You Feel at Home,” was something Fred took to heart during his 55-year career which spanned the Great Depression. At the age of 80, Fred was required to give up his position as a director of the bank, but he remained on to help train young executives.
Fred was also a long-time member of the Munith United Methodist Church, an affiliation that began in 1916. He served as a trustee and treasurer for 40 years and taught Sunday School for six decades.
In 2021, the UMRC-Porter Hills Foundation received a transformational gift made through Fred’s irrevocable trust. This included not only cash, but also a unique property gift of the Munith post office property owned by Fred which sold for over $100,000.
“Fred Ford was a lifelong Methodist and clearly a man of deep faith,” said Steve Fetyko, President & CEO, Brio Living Services. “We are grateful that his faith led him to make such a generous gift through his estate in support of the older adults we serve.”
Meet Our Donors—Dr. Dale Dedrick
Dr. Dale Dedrick, a retired orthopedic surgeon, 2012 Paralympic athlete, and Prairie Cottages resident at Chelsea Retirement Community, credits the tuition program where her father worked in helping her achieve her educational goals. “I grew up in a family that couldn’t afford college tuition,” says Dale. “The tuition program where my father worked allowed my two sisters and I to attend college and earn graduate degrees as well.”
Dale completed medical school at the University of Maryland and touched countless lives practicing medicine at the University of Michigan, doing patient care, surgery, and teaching as well as research in the area of osteoarthritis.
“If I hadn’t gotten that boost up in my education, I might have taken a very bright mind and wasted it,” says Dale. “I would not have had the opportunity to do such worthwhile work.”
Dale’s gratitude has led her to planning a gift to the UMRC-Porter Hills Foundation’s Team Member Scholarship program in her estate, and she hopes to encourage others to do the same.
“Education is expensive, but it shouldn’t be a luxury that people can’t access,” says Dale. “There are so many people at CRC who care for me every day, and I would love to see them get ahead. Just knowing that support is available may be the push you need to go back to school and reach your goals.”
Ready to Become a Member?
To learn more about supporting the UMRC-Porter Hills Foundation, or becoming a member of the UMRC-Porter Hills Legacy Society, call 734.433.1000 ext. 7502 (east) or 616.577.2297 (west).
To Make a Gift Now: Click here to make a secure online gift via credit card to the UMRC-Porter Hills Foundation.