|
News
Elgin, IL (October 23, 2007) Mary Dulabaum has resigned as director of Communications for the Association of Brethren Caregivers, as of Nov. 14. Since 1997, she has communicated the agency’s mission of serving the caring ministries of the denomination.
Elgin, IL (September 23, 2007) – The Association of Brethren Caregivers’ Board and staff participated in multicultural sensitivity training during its Fall Board meetings, held September 21-23 at the Church of the Brethren General Offices. Kathy Reid, ABC’s executive director, and Wendy McFadden, publisher of Brethren Press, provided the training.
In other business, the ABC Board:
This was the first ABC Board meeting for Fellowship of Brethren Homes representative Jim Tiffin, executive director of the Palms of Sebring, Sebring, Fla. These were the last ABC Board meetings for out-going board members Wallace Landes, pastor of the Palmyra, Pa., congregation; Allegra Hess of the York Center congregation, Lombard, Ill.; and Wayne Scott of the Mechanicsburg, Pa., congregation. Landes’ term of service as ABC Board chair ends this year. Congregations Encouraged to Respond to "Mother's Day Call to Action" Elgin, IL (May 7, 2007) – The Association of Brethren Caregivers encourages congregations and Church of the Brethren members to support a “Mother’s Day Call to Action” of the Children’s Defense Fund by contacting their congressional representatives the week of May 6-12 and asking them to reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). In 1997, Congress created SCHIP to provide insurance for children whose parents work but can't afford health insurance of their own. Today, 46 million people live in the United States without adequate health insurance and 9 million of those are children. SCHIP comes before Congress again this year to be reauthorized to continue. The Children’s Defense Fund is initiating this Mother’s Day Call to Action to encourage elected officials to provide comprehensive health and mental health coverage to every child in America. “Children are dying in America because they lack health coverage and adequate access to doctors and dentists,” states a bulletin insert from the Children’s Defense Fund promoting the Mother’s Day Call to Action. The insert includes the stories of three children who died in 2007 due to lack of adequate health care. The bulletin also notes that of the nine million children in America without health insurance, 90 percent are living in working households and the majority are in two-parent families. A PDF file of the bulletin insert can be downloaded from the ABC website at http://www.brethren.org/abc/advocacy/kids%20family.html. In April, both the Association of Brethren Caregivers and the Church of the Brethren General Board signed up to support the All Healthy Children Act with the Children’s Defense Fund. The initiative to support the need for better health care for the uninsured is not a new effort for the Church of the Brethren. For the last four years, ABC has been a partnering organization to promote “Cover the Uninsured” and “Covering Kids & Families.” These programs of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation call attention to the need for health care insurance in America and help register children and family for low-cost or free health insurance. “Many families in the United States today are struggling to provide their children with adequate health care,” states Kim Ebersole, director of Family and Older Adult Ministry for ABC. “This Mother’s Day, when we traditionally honor our mothers, we have the opportunity to ‘do for the least of these’ (Matthew 25:40). Let us put our faith into action by contacting our Senators and Representatives and urging them to reauthorize SCHIP. The ‘gift’ of healthy children, and healthy families, would be a present mothers (and fathers) would cherish.” To make your voice heard in support of the SCHIP program, contact your Senators and Representative by calling (888) 226-0627; visiting www.childrensdefense.org/MothersDayCall; or e-mailing www.childrensdefense.org/MothersDayEmail. The Children’s Defense Fund (www.childrensdefense.org) has a bulletin insert and a full-page flier to help congregations get the word out about this Mother’s Day Call to Action. These materials are most easily available at ABC’s website at http://www.brethren.org/abc/advocacy/kids%20family.html. The Children’s Defense Fund also has a 39-page “Toolkit for Faith Communities” as a downloadable PDF file that can be accessed by visiting http://www.childrensdefense.org/site/PageServer?pagename=healthy_child_takeaction #toolkit. Additional resources for Church of the Brethren members to consider regarding SCHIP are available from at ABC’s website under its advocacy materials for “Cover the Uninsured.” John Warner Named Acting President/CEO Elgin, IL (April 18, 2007) -- In a special meeting held Monday, April 16, the Brethren Retirement Community Board appointed John L. Warner as acting president and CEO, reported Joe Chambers, BRC Board chair. Warner has held the position of Chief Financial Officer of Brethren Retirement Community and will continue to carry those duties in the iterim. Chambers notes that the Board will meet in early May to consider next steps. ABC Remembers Board Member Tim Hissong Elgin, IL (April 16, 2007) -- Association of Brethren Caregivers Board member Tim Hissong died Sunday, April 15, after battling cancer. Hissong joined the ABC Board in January 2006 in his role of chair of the Fellowship of Brethren Homes. The ABC Board designated an ex officio board member position for the chair of the Fellowship as a way to incorporate the concerns and values of this long-standing ministry into the agency's board. Hissong was unable to attend the ABC Board's March meeting due to medical treatments. Hissong was president and chief executive officer of The Brethren Retirement Community of Greenville, Ohio. Hissong has a long history with the Greenville, Ohio, home having served since 2005 as president and CEO and another 13 years as vice president of Operations and treasurer for the facility. A member and former board member of the Happy Corner Church of the Brethren in Clayton, Ohio, Hissong also had a long history of serving the Southern Ohio District. Hissong served as moderator, board member and board chair for the district and was on the board of Camp Woodland Altars. Hissong was actively involved in his community. He was a board member for AOPHA (Association of Ohio Philanthropic Homes, Housing and Services for the Aging) and the Senior Resource Alliance. He also was involved with the Greenville Rotary, having served on its board and as president. Hissong taught for many years as adjunct instructor for the Business Technologies Division of Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio. "The ABC Board and staff hold the Hissong family in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. In the short time Tim served on ABC's Board, we benefitted from his insights and committment to living out Church of the Brethren values of care and concern for one another," said ABC Executive Director Kathy Reid. Tim is survived by his wife, Dawn, and son and daugther-in-law, Bryan and Kim Hissong. UPDATED APRIL 18: Friends and colleagues of Brethren Retirement Community President and CEO Tim Hissong can express condolences to Tim's wife Dawn and immediate family members at an informal gathering from 4 to 8 p.m., Monday, April 23 at the Oakland Church of the Brethren, 8058 Horatio-Harris Creek Rd., Bradford, OH 45328. In recognition of Hissong's long-time care and concern for the Brethren Retirement Community and its residents, a private service for staff and residents will be held Friday evening, April 20, at the facility. Memorial contributions may be made to BRC Resident Aid Fund, 750 Chestnut St., Greenville, OH 45331. Prayer Shawls Needed for Advocate Bethany Hospital Elgin, IL (November 16, 2006) -- The Association of Brethren Caregiver is encouraging congregations and individuals to send prayer shawls to Advocate Bethany Hospital so that the staff can give this gift of care and comfort to all patients. For many years, the Church of the Brethren has supported an effort to bring health and healing to one of the poorest neighborhoods in Chicago. The ministry started by the Church of the Brethren continues today through Advocate Bethany Hospital. Over the years, many congregations have supported this ministry by donating handmade baby blankets and layettes for the hospital. In 2005, the hospital changed its caregiving focus and babies are not longer born there. As a result, the Association of Brethren Caregivers is asking congregations to change the nature of their donation by making and sending prayer shawls to the patients receiving care there. During the fall of 2005 Advocate Bethany Hospital became the first and only specialty hospital on Chicago’s West Side to provide comprehensive care for patients with complex medical conditions who require an extended hospital stay. Bethany is not a nursing home, skilled nursing facility or rehabilitation facility. As a specialty hospital, Advocate Bethany Hospital provides comprehensive care for patients suffering from complex medical conditions, including heart disease, respiratory conditions, stroke, kidney disease and severe wounds. Patients’ average stays are of at least 25 days, with the ultimate goal of returning home. By providing extensive and individualized care, Advocate Bethany is a vital part of the continuum of care, particularly as society ages and health conditions requiring a longer duration of treatment become more common. Prayer shawls symbolize shelter, peace and spiritual sustenance. They also can be called comfort shawls or peace shawls. Several ecumenical organizations have donated hand-knitted and crocheted shawls for those in need. The Church of the Brethren’s Prayer Shawl ministry to Advocate Bethany Hospital is a simple, universal and enduring message of caring. Shawls can be used during prayer or meditation; while undergoing medical procedures; during an illness and recovery; while ministering to others; as a comfort after a loss or in times of stress; during bereavement. They also can be used for commitment or marriage ceremonies; birthing, nursing a baby; graduation, birthday, anniversary, ordination, holiday gifts. The making of a prayer shawl is a spiritual practice which embodies our thoughts and prayers for the receiver. It is a gift freely given with no strings attached. Made in prayer, the shawls are passed on hand-to-hand and heart-to-heart. Prayer shawls can be sent to Bethany Advocate Hospital, Attention: Latrice Jackson, 3435 West Van Buren, Chicago, Illinois 60624; (773) 265-7700. Elgin, IL (October 23, 2006) -- The ABC Executive Committee and Wellness Ministry cabinet toured Bethany Advocate Hospital in Chicago prior to the ABC Board’s fall meetings held September 29-30 at the General Offices in Elgin, Ill. The Association of Brethren Caregivers has some connections to the former Bethany Hospital that began in conjunction with Bethany Theological Seminary when it was located in Chicago. The tour allowed ABC’s Executive Committee members to view the hospital’s transition from providing general health and emergency care to acute long-term care. The hospital received widespread publicity when it announced the move last January. At the ABC Board’s previous meeting in March, the Church of the Brethren representatives who serve on the Governing Council of Advocate Bethany Hospital met with the board to report on the hospital’s reasons for moving to acute long-term care and how it might better serve its surrounding community. During its meetings, the ABC Board took part in a Board Development session to evaluate the board’s current make-up, vision and focus. The session included a component that encourages the board to rethink its future goals and work. In other work, the ABC Board:
These meetings marked the last board meetings for John Wenger of Anderson, Ind., who moves off the board December 31. He will continue to serve on the Wellness Ministry to represent mental health concerns. Also, the board accepted Gayle Hunter Sheller’s resignation and approved the appointment of Chris Whitacre of McPherson, Kan., to complete her term and represent the western districts. ABC to Hold NOAC in 2008 and 2009 Elgin, IL (October 5, 2006) -- The Association of Brethren Caregivers will hold the next National Older Adult Conference in 2008 and another conference in 2009 in an effort to move biennial conference to odd years so that it would not occur in the same year as National Youth Conference. The next NOAC will be held September 1-5, 2008, followed by another to be held September 7-11, 2009. The ABC Board made the decision during its fall board meetings, which were held September 28-29 at the General Offices in Elgin, Ill. “Staff, volunteers and resources were very strained to prepare for and work at three major denominational conferences – Annual Conference, National Youth Conference and NOAC – all held within a three-month period,” says Kathy Reid, ABC’s executive director. “By moving NOAC to odd numbered years the ABC Board is trying to be good stewards its staff, volunteers and resources. As the caregiving ministry of the church, we’re also trying to encourage the wellness of the many people who work in various ways at all three events.” The ABC Board determined that holding the conferences back to back would successfully move into a new conference schedule while still honoring plans made to hold the next NOAC in 2008. NOAC will continue to be held at Lake Junaluska Assembly, Lake Junaluska, N.C. Ebersole to Serve As Family Life and Older Adult Ministry Director Elgin, IL (May 18, 2006) - Kim Ebersole of North Manchester, Ind., will serve as director of Family Life and Older Adult Ministries of the Association of Brethren Caregivers, effective August 1. She is filling the vacancy that will be created when Scott Douglas’ resignation as director of Older Adult Ministry takes effect May 31. In her new role, Ebersole will work to continue the Older Adult Ministry’s program, which will involve creating resources and leading workshops for congregations wanting to provide an intentional ministry by, for and with older adults. She also will be forging a new emphasis on Family Life Ministry. In recent years, Family Life Ministry was a component of each of ABC’s ministry imperatives. Now the agency intends to make a more intentional effort at providing program for Family Life Ministry. Ebersole will attend the Des Moines Annual Conference to observe insight sessions offered through the Older Adult Ministry. She also will attend the National Older Adult Conference to take part in the Older Adult Ministry Training Event, which will be held concurrently with NOAC. Prior to joining ABC, Ebersole has served as director of Social Services for Peabody Retirement Community of North Manchester, Ind., since 1997. In this role she created a campus-wide program providing social services for residents in all levels of care to meet their social, psychological, emotional, spiritual and physical needs. She hired, trained and supervised a staff of social workers; facilitated support groups; and supervised social work students from Manchester College. Prior to working for Peabody, Ebersole worked several years for hospice in roles of social worker and bereavement coordinator. Her professional career has included creating and directing an AIDS service organization in Gettysburg, Pa., to provide support and resources to persons with HIV/AIDS and their families. Ebersole also served on the denomination’s HIV/AIDS Task Force in the 1990s. “Kim’s commitment to caregiving has been present in her many professional roles as well as her involvement at the Manchester Church of the Brethren. Her life experiences and spiritual focus will be wonderful assets as she works with a core group of volunteers to continue the momentum around Older Adult Ministry and form a more intentional ministry around Family Life,” says Kathy Reid, executive director for ABC. Ebersole earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from Manchester College and a master’s degree in social work from Temple University. She is a Licensed Social Worker and a member of the National Association of Social Workers. Ebersole is a member of the Manchester Church of the Brethren, North Manchester, Ind., where she has served as a deacon, Stephen Minister and a member of various committees. Ebersole will relocate with her family to Elgin, Ill., in the coming months. Garrison to Become Wellness Director Garrison’s work will involve promoting wellness and the goals of the church’s Wellness Ministry in congregations, districts, agencies throughout the denomination, with special attention to those enrolled in the Brethren Medical Plan. She will also develop, coordinate and manage a resource bureau of people from across the denomination who have expertise in various areas of health education. The position is staffed through ABC, and is a collaborative position supported by Brethren Benefit Trust and the Church of the Brethren General Board. Garrison recently announced her resignation effective July 28 as director of Human Resources for the Church of the Brethren General Board, which she joined in 2001. Prior to her work with the General Board, she served as Human Resources Director, and earlier as Geriatric Social Worker, for Pinecrest Community, a Brethren-affiliated retirement community located at Mount Morris, Ill. Garrison also worked as a manager of Upjohn Home Health Care Services of Battle Creek, Mich. She resides in Mount Morris and is member of the Mount Morris Church of the Brethren. Garrison will work from the ABC office in Elgin, Ill. Garrison earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Manchester College, and a master’s degree in Family Ecology from Western Michigan University. She has completed course work and training in Mediating Interpersonal Conflict and Employment Law. She also earned a lifetime certification as Senior Professional in Human Resources. Garrison’s interest in healthy food and cooking led her to complete courses in Culinary and Hospitality Management from Elgin Community College and earn a Food Sanitation Certification from the State of Illinois in 2005. “From the beginning, Mary Lou has been an integral part of the Wellness Ministry for the denomination,” says Kathy Reid, executive director for ABC. “She possesses all the skills and health-consciousness needed to take the Wellness Ministry to the next level. Plus, as a long-time member of the Church of the Brethren, she knows our strengths and weaknesses about caring for our physical health.” Garrison has helped to plan the “Passport to Wellness” activities that will encourage Annual Conference attendees to make healthy choices for their mind, body and spirit during the four-day gathering in July. She also will be involved in insight sessions that focus on wellness, which will be held during the conference. ABC Board Approves New ADA Statement The resolution, titled “Commitment to Accessibility and Inclusion Resolution,” urges congregations, agencies and gatherings of the Church of the Brethren to enable all activities to be accessible so that “all may worship, serve, be served, learn and grow in the presence of God as valued members of the Christian community.” It encourages these same groups to examine physical and attitudinal barriers that prevent people with disabilities from participating fully; to make a commitment that all existing and future denominational offices be modified or designed to follow the guidelines of the ADA; and to request that ABC continue to make resources available to assist in fulfilling these commitments. “Even though our denomination has worked intentionally to allow people with disabilities to more readily worship within our buildings, this newest resolution points out that more work is still needed to ensure that people with disabilities are incorporated into the fabric of our church,” said Kathy Reid, ABC’s executive director and staff for the Disabilities Ministry. The Disabilities Ministry drafted the resolution and brought it to the ABC Board for approval. Saturday morning, the ABC Board heard from three representatives it appointed to the Governing Council of Advocate Bethany, a Chicago hospital that began in conjunction with Bethany Theological Seminary when it was located in Chicago. Advocate Bethany plans to become a specialty hospital providing long-term acute care, a move that has been scrutinized in Chicago-area newspapers since it was announced in January. John Cassel and Janine Katonah, both of York Center Church of the Brethren in Lombard, Ill., and Jan Lugibihl, executive director of Bethany Brethren Community Center based at First Church in Chicago, serve on the Governing Council since being appointed by ABC as representatives of the Church of the Brethren. Their presentation identified that Advocate Bethany has not been utilized fully by those in the neighborhood and that its move toward becoming a specialty hospital for long-term acute care is needed by other area hospitals. During Saturday evening, the ABC Board recognized the contributions of Scott Douglas, who resigned as director of Older Adult Ministry effective June 1. Douglas was recognized for serving the last eight years on behalf of the caring ministries of the Church of the Brethren. His service to the denomination has included leading workshops on deacons, spirituality, older adult ministry and family life; planning several National Older Adult Conferences and Caring Ministries Assemblies and contributing to resource development for the agency. In other business, the ABC Board: • Participated in a board development session led by Jeff Shireman, CEO of Lebanon Valley Brethren Home, Palmyra, Pa., that explored the “Green House” model of care. Green House offers a de-institutionalized care model that where groups of 10 to 12 residents live in an independent home with private bedrooms rooms that open to a common living space of the dining and kitchen area. • Learned of several joint projects involving the Fellowship of Brethren Homes and the Peace Church Initiatives, a non-profit corporation that is an outgrowth of the collaboration between ABC, Friends Services for the Aging and Mennonite Health Services Alliance. The programs include a new long-term care insurance product for the denomination and anyone associated with the homes. This initiative comes in response to the issue of uncompensated care that impacts many of the Brethren retirement centers. • Learned that some ABC staff members have been trained to lead a series of board development seminars, “Called to God’s Work.” These training modules are available to all boards of churches, districts and agencies of the denomination. • Accepted the Award Committee’s nominations for recipients of ABC’s annual caregiving awards, which will be given at the ABC Reception during Annual Conference. • Heard reports about the National Older Adult Conference and the Annual Forum. NOAC will take place September 4-8 at Lake Junaluska (N.C.) Assembly. The Forum is an annual conference for CEOs and staff of Brethren Retirement Centers and will be held May 4-6 at The Cedars of McPherson, Kan. • Received reports about each of ABC’s ministries and their initiatives, such as resources available to churches for Health Promotion Sunday and Older Adult Month, which are both in May. These meetings were the first meetings for new board members Tammy Kiser of Dayton, Va., Bill Cave of Palmyra, Pa., and Marilyn Bussey of Roanoke, Va. Another new board member John Kinsel of Beavercreek, Ohio, was unable to attend.
ABC Concerned About Funding Cuts Proposed for the Poor Elgin, IL (December 6, 2005) The Association of Brethren Caregivers stands alongside other religious leaders calling for the defeat of the 2006 Federal Budget as it is currently proposed. Being led by scripture that “the Lord maintains the cause of the needy, and executes justice for the poor” (Psalm 140:12), ABC is concerned about the proposed budget, which cuts deeply into programs for the poor while offering tax breaks for the wealthy. ABC supports a December 6 letter signed by five denominations calling for the federal budget to reflect the nation’s commitment to care for the poor and those in need, especially in light of the devastation and brokenness caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. ● How can Congress compromise between the $1 billion for heating subsidies for low-income people included in the House bill but not in the Senate, while knowing that heating bills are expected to rise 50 percent? ● How can Congress compromise on Medicaid provisions that will force low-income patients to forego needed health care or medications, and relieve states of providing low-income children just above the poverty line with comprehensive preventive care and treatment? ● How does Congress compromise when the House proposal includes deep cuts to child support enforcement that will likely push children deeper into poverty when, already, nearly one in five children in this nation live below the poverty line? ABC Board Approves Visioning Statement Elgin, IL (October 12, 2005) The ABC Board approved a visioning statement encouraging a new look at how the church structure enables the mission and ministry of the denomination during its meetings held September 23-25 at the General Offices, Elgin, Ill. The document, titled “A New World Coming -- A Renewed Church Emerging,” describes how the organization sees the denomination and how it sees itself. The statement goes on to challenge the denomination to intentionally organize and position itself for ministry and mission in the future. |
