Meet our donors!
Read about the good that comes from your support for older adults.
Meet Our Donors - Chuck & Carol Jennings
As head of Human Resources for the former Old Kent Financial Corporation, Chuck Jennings was encouraged to volunteer. So when his friend, Dick Young, invited him to join the Porter Hills board in 1985, Chuck accepted.
“Dick and I had been involved with many community activities in Grand Rapids,” says Chuck. “The Porter Hills board wanted someone with HR experience to serve, so Dick asked me.” Chuck went on to devote over 30 years of volunteer service to Porter Hills, including as chair of the governing board, and serving as the third chair of the Porter Hills Foundation board.
Chuck’s board service encompassed a time of significant growth, including the construction of Cook Valley Estates, LifeCircles PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly), and six HUD Affordable Living communities. “I had a front row seat to see this place grow from one location to so many,” says Chuck. “It’s been really interesting and really worthwhile to be part of it with a lot of good people who worked well together. I enjoyed the ride.”
The Jennings’ connection to Porter Hills has become more personal over the years. Carol’s mother lived at Porter Hills Village, and now Carol and Chuck are residents at Cook Valley Estates.
Carol, who worked at Davenport College in admissions, placement, and advising, said she and Chuck wanted to be the ones to make the decision about where to move, instead of leaving it to their three children. “People often wait too long to make that move and then they can’t enjoy the amenities,” says Carol. “We are very comfortable here, we feel safe, and our kids don’t have to worry about us. It is a blessing for our family.”
Chuck and Carol support the organization with a planned gift. “Porter Hills has always shown goodness and value and cares about people first,” says Chuck. “We love Porter Hills, and it’s part of our being to support the things we love. Porter Hills is first on our list.”
Meet Our Donors – Angie Van Hoven
Angie Van Hoven spent her 101-year lifetime caring for others. Her legacy of caring continues through her estate gift to the Porter Hills Foundation’s Benevolent Care Fund.
“Angie was raised to help other people and to be supportive of the community where she lived,” says Angie’s long-time friend and Power of Attorney, Diane Hyland. “She just always cared deeply about people and wanted to leave her money to help others.”
Angie grew up on a farm in Zeeland, Michigan and graduated from Zeeland High School in 1937. In 1940, she graduated from Blodgett School of Nursing and served in the Army Reserve Nurse Corps during World War II. Angie later became a visiting nurse and was the Director of the Visiting Nurse Association in Holland, Michigan from 1952 to 1956.
She met her husband, Richard, at Faith Reformed Church in Zeeland, where she was a charter member. Together, the couple owned and operated Woodhaven Skilled Nursing Home in Zeeland which still exists as the Heritage Nursing Home.
Eventually, Angie moved to Porter Hills where her aunt had also lived. (Her aunt lived to be over 100 as well!) “She could have stayed in Zeeland, but Porter Hills meant a lot to Angie because of the loving care her aunt received there,” says Diane.
During the nearly 30 years she lived at Porter Hills, Angie was served through its continuum of care, from independent living at Cook Valley Estates, to assisted living at Porter Hills Village, and, for the past two years, at Porter Hills’ Green House® Homes where she received skilled nursing care. “Angie loved Porter Hills,” says Diane. “She could have been a salesperson for the organization!”
Angie’s legacy shines on through her estate gift to the Benevolent Care Fund. Her heartfelt empathy for others will continue to care for UMRC & Porter Hills residents for years to come.
To learn more about making a planned gift to the UMRC & Porter Hills Foundation, visit: https://foundation.mybrio.org/.
Meet Our Donors – Max and Sue Supica- Five Decades of Faith and Philanthropy
Max and Sue Supica recently celebrated 50 years of membership at West Side Methodist Church in Ann Arbor and with it, a 50-year relationship with United Methodist Retirement Communities (UMRC).
The Supicas moved to Ann Arbor 52 years ago when Max accepted a position with Ford Motor Company at their new plastics facility in Saline, Michigan. They began attending West Side United Methodist Church and eventually joined the church in 1970. There, they became close friends with several other couples who supported UMRC, including Dick and Norma Sarns. "We 'grew up' watching them," says Max and Sue. "They set a good example of philanthropy for us."
They learned more about the faith-based mission of UMRC when some of their pastors and, later, some of their friends retired and moved to Chelsea Retirement Community. The couple began making gifts to support the Benevolent Care Fund in their honor or memory, including Tree of Life ornaments at the holidays.
In 2010, Dick and Norma invited Max and Sue to join them at the UMRC Foundation's first annual Garden Party, hosted at the home of Bard member, Jan Lyons, where they became more aware of the Foundation's work in caring for older adults. Today, the Supicas are members of the UMRC & Porter Hills Legacy Society by including the Foundation in their estate plan.
For the Supicas, who now make their home at UMRC & Porter Hills' The Cedars of Dexter, their support of the UMRC & Porter Hills Foundation has been an extension of their faith. "We think the world of UMRC & Porter Hills," says Sue.
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.