UMRC Foundation Receives Grant

Ypsilanti, MI, Jun. 9, 2021 – The United Methodist Retirement Communities (UMRC) Foundation is excited to announce it has received a grant of $10,000 from the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation Community Grantmaking Program. These funds will support Huron Valley PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly) to stock a pantry for team members and participants.

Huron Valley PACE serves the psycho-social, medical, and supportive needs of more than 200 low-income, nursing home-eligible adults, aged 55 and up, who are able to live independently in their own homes and communities, thanks to PACE services.

With the outbreak of COVID-19, Huron Valley PACE created a food and essentials pantry for home-bound participants and direct care team members to take home to their families. This grant will be used to purchase healthy, fresh produce options, in addition to traditional pantry choices, and to partner with local farms and providers, such as Food Gatherers.

This project will help address the immediate needs of participants, team members, and their families, through Huron Valley PACE’s expanded food pantry with fresh produce, to ease the burden of those we serve. “We are grateful to receive this funding from the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation’s Community Grantmaking Program,” said Sonja Love Felton, Huron Valley PACE Executive Director. “This project will allow Huron Valley PACE to locally source fresh produce options and expand our partnership with Food Gatherers, to support our team members and participants.”

Since launching the pantry, more than 100 total households have utilized Huron Valley PACE’s food and essentials pantry. As more restrictions are lifted and participants and team members return to the PACE Day Health Center in Ypsilanti, this project will positively impact many more families.

PACE’s interdisciplinary team of professionals provides participants with a “one-stop” shop model for all their healthcare needs, including comprehensive medical care, occupational and physical therapy, pharmacy needs, nutrition and meals, health education, social and recreational activities, and door-to-door transportation. Most participants are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and pay no additional fees for PACE

Building on a foundation of 165 years of combined service to older adults, United Methodist Retirement Communities (UMRC) & Porter Hills is a faith-based, nonprofit organization whose mission is: Welcoming all, partnering together, enriching lives. Its vision is: A world in which all are empowered to age well. Together, UMRC & Porter Hills represents the second largest nonprofit senior living organization in Michigan. With a tradition of exceptional quality and a commitment to cutting-edge care, UMRC & Porter Hills and its affiliates combine to serve over 7,000 older adults each year, from 24 locations and service lines, across 22 counties in Michigan’s lower peninsula. UMRC & Porter Hills is one of the state’s leading providers of PACE services with five sites statewide, serving approximately 1,000 older adults annually across 15 Michigan counties. umrcph.com|734.433.1000 and 616.949.4975

The Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation enriches the quality of life in our region through its knowledgeable leadership, engaged grantmaking, and creative partnerships with donors to make philanthropic investments and build endowment. Aaacf.org|734.663.0401

The mission of Huron Valley PACE is to enhance the lives and independence of our participants by providing state-of-the-art geriatric health and community-based services. Its vision is to serve as a local, regional and national resource in the provision of state-of-the-art geriatric health and community-based services that recognize the dignity, independence and quality of life for older adults wishing to remain in their homes. huronvalleypace.org|734.572.577