Mary Groggel shares how volunteering at the Mary and Martha Center shaped her experience.
Legacy gifts help ensure that Beacon Hill at Eastgate continues to impact residents and families for the next generation and beyond. 4
A few years ago, we invited the Plaster Creek Stewards to speak to Beacon Hill residents and neighbors about their efforts in our area. Plaster Creek Stewards is a collaboration of Calvin University faculty, staff, and students working with local schools, churches, and community partners to restore the health and beauty of the watershed. They focus on research, education, and on-the-ground restoration (working directly to restore the watershed).
I was inspired to change the landscape of my own home with these stewards’ help by cultivating an environment of protection. We have a tributary of the Plaster Creek running through our backyard. The changes included native landscaping that promotes deep roots and plants that attract pollinators like bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies.
In the same way, each person in the Beacon Hill family can protect our environment and neighbors by cultivating care and community. Your participation through your gifts to the Beacon Hill Foundation makes continuing community care a reality. Thank you! What else is possible?
Did you know that legacy gifts are possible without adjusting your will? You will become a Legacy Society member along with some of your neighbors and family members.
Many community members have shared about their volunteer efforts and interests around Grand Rapids. Did you know that there are simple volunteer needs waiting for you to share your spiritual gifts right here at Beacon Hill and in the Eastgate neighborhood? This issue covers some of the opportunities available for you to share your gifts.
Just like I invited pollinators to my yard to help cultivate a healthier environment, you can: “bee” thoughtful, caring, always growing, and involved!
I invite you to be part of our legacy to “Cultivate Care and Community,” ensuring a healthy community environment for everyone!
Gratefully,
Andi Allen Foundation Director
It’s a practical question asked by those who are working out the details of their wills or trusts.
Your best answer depends on your circumstances, objectives and values. However, many families consider one of three giving models.
1 Percentage or Tithe. Many individuals allocate a certain percentage of their estate toward The Beacon Hill Foundation and other Kingdom causes. Some designate 10 percent to reinforce the Biblical concept of tithing.
2 Child Named Charity. Some families choose to add a “child named Charity” to their wills. By this method, for example, if a couple had four children, each of the children would receive 1/5 of their belongings, and the remaining 1/5 could go toward charity.
3 Gifts of Assets. People often designate real estate, business interests, life insurance, retirement assets, machinery or even personal collections as gifts to the Beacon Hill Foundation. There are a number of reasons people do this, whether it’s because the property has special meaning, their
children have no further use for it or because they wish to protect their families from unnecessary taxes.
Beacon Hill Entrance Deposit Refund. As a part of your residency agreement, you may designate your entrance deposit refund to the Beacon Hill Foundation. While this is not necessarily a part of your will, this is another wonderful way to donate.
What’s the right answer for you? It may be helpful to talk with a trusted ally who can help you sort through all the options to determine the best fit for your goals and circumstances.
Through Beacon Hill’s partnership with Barnabas Foundation, you have direct access to this kind of trusted planning support. At no cost to you, you can speak with a professional planner who will help you identify a plan that honors God, cares for your family and furthers the important mission of your favorite ministries.
“How much should I leave to the Beacon Hill Foundation and the other ministries close to my heart?”
Mary Groggel and her late husband, Richard (Dick), married for 71 years, were some of the very first residents to live at Beacon Hill. Dick, an avid baseball fan, started playing as a youth in Kalamazoo and continued playing for four years at Western Michigan College (now University) playing third base, where he met Mary. During World War II Dick proudly served his country, including four months as a POW, held by the Germans in Poland. Upon his return from the war, he and Mary graduated on the same morning, and then married that same afternoon! In her career, Mary was a 3rd grade teacher at Ottawa Hills Elementary School until she took time off to raise their four children.
Mary and Dick had been living in the Eastgate neighborhood for 55 years on Concord when they heard that the Metro Hospital (now the site of Beacon Hill at Eastgate) was scheduled to be torn down, and in its place, a new retirement community was to be built.
Mary said, “I looked at [Dick] and said, ‘Now’s the time.’ I didn’t know of another opportunity to live in a brandnew community that was already in the neighborhood we loved. I knew we
needed to live somewhere that would allow us to grow old gracefully.” In November of 2010, Mary and Dick moved in to Beacon Hill as one of the very first residents of the new Independent Living building. “My children to this day say, ‘Mom, I’m so happy you and dad made the decision to move yourself.’ A lot of people come here because their kids insist. I lived in my house 55 years and I didn’t feel bad about leaving; instead I thought ‘This will be fun!’ And it was!”
Mary became involved in the community, volunteering whenever possible. She got involved with the Mary and Martha Center, and volunteered her time with several Assisted Living residents. Then, her friendship blossomed with Joy, an Assisted Living resident who also happened to be a benevolent care recipient.
“She came to Beacon Hill before 2010, at least 5 years before me and she came as a Benevolent Care recipient. A Beacon Hill team member would check her finances and pay her bills. Over the years I took that over. I’d take her to the doctor. She depended on me, and I was happy to help her.
Early on, I determined my role in our relationship was to be a good listener, show love, support and care for her. We shared our Christian faith, and we laughed a lot and shared stories. She knew she could count on me and that I’m right next door.”
Mary also appreciates firsthand the community enhancements that the Foundation provides. She recalls, “It was so much easier when the bridge between buildings opened. The bridge opened right when [Dick] was in nursing, so that was wonderful. I would be over there all day with him, and I walked over the bridge—and, oh man, that was good— because it was cold outside.”
Mary saw how much the Benevolent Care Fund made a difference for her friend, Joy. “She lived on a fixed monthly income, which did not cover her monthly fee, yet she had the assurance she would be taken care of despite this shortage. That gave her peace of mind to enjoy life at Beacon Hill. Now that peace is for us,” she says. “When we come here, we know we will be taken care of no matter what happens.”
The legacy of caring continues with the Beacon Hill family sharing their time and talents throughout the community. Elizabeth Tankersley, Life Enrichment Manager and Volunteer Coordinator coordinates activities AND volunteer opportunities across our campus. There are many ways to help make a resident’s day by getting involved. Most recently, the activities team would appreciate assistance with:
• Creating sensory mats or blankets
• Sharing your musical gifts
• Card making
• Occasional assistance with a weekly activity called “Art in the Multipurpose Room” at the Mary and Martha Center. Volunteers are needed to assist with the group art activity or to color and converse with the residents.
• Spending time with residents and welcoming visitors
If you are available, please contact Elizabeth to get engaged with your community. She can be reached at Elizabeth.Tankersley@beaconhillgr.org or 616-608-8258.
Signed into law on December 29, 2022, the “SECURE Act 2.0” will benefit many supporters who want to give to the Beacon Hill Foundation from their retirement accounts.
Two provisions offer new, smart, tax-wise giving options for supporters who qualify.
• Many taxpayers can now give from their IRAs to fund gifts that pay income for life. This may include a one-time qualified charitable distribution (QCD), or multiple QCDs within a single year, totaling no more than $50,000, to fund a life income gift, such as a charitable gift annuity or a charitable trust.
• Beginning in 2024, the annual QCD limit of $100,000 will be increased to account for inflation. This means supporters who give from their IRAs may be eligible to reduce their taxable income even more than has been possible in the past!
Do you qualify for these smart giving options? Are they the right fit for your goals and situation?
The Employee Scholarship Fund, introduced in 2020, helps support employee education and training. Backed by many of our residents, and supported through the Beacon Hill Foundation, the scholarship funds offer support to our ambitious team members seeking to grow their knowledge and better their futures. Employees are selected based on their outstanding performance and dedication to their work at Beacon Hill.
These scholarships can be used for any type of education or training. Scholarships have been awarded for: training in life-saving skills, like CPR, specialized vocational training, department training, dementia training, completing an associates or bachelor’s degree, and continuing education in nursing, management, public health, or culinary arts.
Ashley Hodges, LPN, and recipient of a Lillian Fuller Endowed Employee Scholarship says;
“I love taking care of people, I love being there. It’s not that you’re trying to be a hero, you’re just trying to be there for someone. The Beacon Hill Foundation impacts myself, my future, and my children’s future. It really helps take that burden off of you financially. Right now, I’m advancing into my Registered Nurse degree and I’m working toward my Bachelors of Science in Nursing, and also my Nurse Practitioner degree. The scholarship allows me to gain those strides.”
Many of our employees seek to improve their knowledge and expertise. They have the drive to succeed and are ambitious, energetic, and optimistic. At times, the cost of education can be an obstacle that limits their ability to make these advancements. By supporting our employees through continuing education opportunities, you in turn support the entire community.
The Legacy Society membership includes individuals who have chosen to give back to the community where they, or their loved ones, live. Their generosity ensures Beacon Hill at Eastgate will continue to provide a caring, welcoming home for our residents that meets their physical, social and spiritual needs for years to come.
Do you remember the first time you came to Beacon Hill? We do. Every person connected with Beacon Hill is part of our family. Your financial gift to Beacon Hill shows a commitment to a higher calling, ensuring your place in a long line of benefactors who have also believed in the importance of a loving, Christian home for our seniors in the Grand Rapids community.
There are many ways to be a part of the Beacon Hill Legacy Society. Most of them can reduce your estate and income taxes and maximize the financial and tax benefits of your gift. For example:
• A gift in your will, including cash, stock or real estate
• IRAs and tax deferred account beneficiary
• Life insurance beneficiary
• Retirement plan beneficiary
• Beacon Hill entrance fee refund beneficiary
• Charitable Gift Annuity
How we choose to steward our abilities and resources reflects our values and relationship with our spiritual beliefs. That is why planning your will or estate is much more than a financial or legal exercise. Making a legacy gift is a powerful statement to your family about your values and your legacy of generosity. Your legacy gift helps ensure that Beacon Hill at Eastgate continues to impact our families for the next generation and beyond.
Resident Gloria Haebich and her late husband David wanted to leave a legacy to the place they call home. The Haebichs moved into Beacon Hill and were impressed with the good work of the Foundation. They decided to purchase a charitable gift annuity with their accumulated interest and found that they could choose more than one charity to endow. The annuity paid a significantly higher percentage than what is available from other safe investments.
They are pleased to know that when they are gone, the remainder of the two annuities will benefit the Beacon Hill Foundation, their church, a scholarship at Grand Valley State and one at the school in Illinois where they both worked. Gloria told us,
“Both of our charitable gift annuities have been invested well, and the funds estimate the remainder for the charities averages approximately half the amount invested. For us older folks, it’s nice to know that the older we are at the time of purchase, the higher the interest payment we receive and the larger the gift that will likely go to the charities we love. All that and some tax avoidance, too. Is that what you call a win, win, win?”
Join others who have made a legacy gift to the Beacon Hill Foundation and become a member of our Legacy Society. Let us know your intentions now so that we can thank you!
Contact Andi Allen at 616-608-8285 or andi.allen@beaconhillgr.org to learn more.
There’s no better opportunity than our Annual Golf Classic to enjoy eighteen holes of golf, fun with friends, and the opportunity to support a great cause — helping seniors in our community discover their best life.
Hosted at the Thousand Oaks Golf Club in Grand Rapids on Monday, June 19. You’ll love the beauty and challenge of this course.
Assemble your team and register today at BEACONHILLGR.ORG/GOLF
The Beacon Hill Foundation will be hosting four Concerts on the Green this year.
Thanks to generous donations to the Russell and Dorothy Watkins Spiritual Care Fund, the Foundation has been able to underwrite an ongoing Dementia Caregiver Support Group. A professional counselor comes to Beacon Hill each month and meets with residents in an open forum to discuss topics such as:
• How to help explain dementia to others;
• How to deal with the feeling of loss of a friend or family member with dementia;
• How to help when a loved one is angry or confused.
H June 14
H July 12
H August 9
H September 13
“This group has helped me feel like I am not alone in my difficulties caring for my spouse. If you’re not [caregiving] regularly, it just seems that nobody else understands.”
– Support Group Member
Mr. Etcyl Blair
Mrs. Mary Groggel
Mr. & Mrs. Doug Gross
Mrs. Carol Hagadorn
Mr. Thomas Hogan
Mr. & Mrs. Martin Peterson
Mr. Henry Blanksma
Mrs. Mary Groggel
Mrs. Carol Hagadorn
Mr. & Mrs. Paul Wetherbee
Ms. Patricia Bonta
Mrs. Mary Groggel
Mr. Gary Borton
Mrs. Carol Hagadorn
Mrs. Yole Campbell
Mrs. Elizabeth Gordon
Ms. Cathryne Winberg
Mrs. Carolyn Cappo
Ms. Marion Kuntzman
Mrs. Jeanne Carpenter
Mr. Robert Carpenter
Mrs. Patricia Cass
Ms. Brenda Cass
Mr. Rob Christenson
Mrs. Carol Hagadorn
Ms. Sharon Cooper
Mrs. Carol Hagadorn
Mrs. JoAnn Donnelly
Mr. Mark Donnelly
LaVerne Dykstra
Mrs. Martha Dykstra
Mrs. Christina Ekdom
Mr. Donald Ekdom
Mrs. Melvina Gasparotto
Mrs. Ruth Stephens
Mrs. Dorothy Gordon
Mrs. Elizabeth Gordon
Ms. Cathryne Winberg
Mrs. Dori Harrold
Mrs. Carol Hagadorn
Mr. & Mrs. Alvin Plantinga
Ms. Cathryne Winberg
Mrs. Shirley Hulbert
Mr. & Mrs. Dan Hale
Ms. Mary Lou Hibbard
Mrs. Ruth Stephens
Mrs. Mary Knape
Ms. Cathryne Winberg
Mrs. Jane Kooistra
Mr. & Mrs. Gerald Berends
Mr. Don Hamilton
Mr. & Mrs. Gerald Hoekstra
Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Kooistra
Mr. & Mrs. Curtis Ritsema
Mr. & Mrs. Don Strobel
Mr. Herman Kolk
Mr. & Mrs. Paul Block
Mr. & Mrs. William Faber
Mr. & Mrs. Dick Flickema
Mr. & Mrs. Frederick Kolk
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Kolk
Mr. Leonard Krueger
Mrs. Ruth Stephens
Mr. Philip Kuntzman
Ms. Marion Kuntzman
Mr. William Lanning
Mrs. Elizabeth Gordon
Mr. & Mrs. Paul Wetherbee
Mr. Larry Lenon Jr.
Mrs. Ruth Stephens
Mr. Aaron McDonald
Mrs. Ruth Stephens
Mr. John Morrow
Mr. & Mrs. James Vaughan
Mr. Leo Nauer
Ms. Jan Fifarek
Ms. Harriet Jankowiak
Mr. & Mrs. Martin Peterson
Mrs. Mary Beth Nysson
Mrs. Virginia Wells
Dr. William Passinault
Mrs. Elizabeth Gordon
Ms. Cathryne Winberg
Mrs. Donna Patten
Mr. & Mrs. Barry Burton
Mr. Till Peters
Mrs. Carol Hagadorn
Mrs. Jan Rasmussen
Mrs. Carol Hagadorn
Mrs. Susan Scherphorn
Mr. Robert Scherphorn
Mrs. Elvira Stawski
Mr. Donald Ekdom
Dr. & Mrs. Randy Greschaw
Mrs. Mary Groggel
Mrs. Carol Hagadorn
Mrs. Ruth Stephens
Henry O. Taylor
Ms. Karen Jones
Mr. Dan Thill
Mrs. Carol Hagadorn
Mrs. Ellen Truesdale
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Osterwald
Pastor John Vanderstel
Mr. & Mrs. Maynard Vanderstel
Mrs. Mern Van Namen
Mr. & Mrs. Jeff Blahnik
Mr. & Mrs. Donald Doody
Mr. & Mrs. James Fredricks
Mr. & Mrs. Rick Mulders
Ms. Linda Owen
Mr. & Mrs. Brian Sikkema
Mr. Carl Welmers
Mrs. Carol Hagadorn
Ms. Cathryne (Kay) Winberg
Mrs. Mary Groggel
Mrs. Carol Hagadorn
Mrs. Mary Lou Morrow
Mrs. Ruth Stephens
Mrs. Gelene Zoeterman
Mrs. Carol Hagadorn
In Honor of:
Mrs. Mary Kuieck
Ms. Linda Deming
Ms. Andrea Mikulenas
Mrs. Idamae Swartz
Ms. Kathleen Tupper
The Beacon Hill SNF Staff
Ms. Cindy Dunne
ECS Solutions
Beacon Hill Foundation Board
Micki Benz Chairperson
Cheryl Blair Trustee
Carl Dufendach Trustee
Jeffrey Huegli President
Skip Knapp III Treasurer
Jim Rauwerda Trustee
Christine Visner Trustee
Susie Wisler Trustee
Beacon Hill Foundation Staff
Andi Allen Foundation Director
Ensuring that Beacon Hill at Eastgate continues to meet the physical, social and spiritual needs of its residents, has adequate resources for development of its campus and facilities, and remains an integral part of the Eastgate neighborhood.
