Why Do I Give? AN INTERVIEW WITH RICH & ESTHER VAN HATTEM
Rich Van Hattem served on our Board of Directors for two five-year periods and now serves on our Board of Governors. He and his wife Esther have been enthusiastic, faithful supporters of Providence Life Service for many years. Rich: When I was a teenager, I used to go to Providence communities and visit. My mom worked and volunteered at Providence. Later, she and my dad moved to Providence. Esther: It’s part of my earliest memories. My grandfather, great-aunt, and later my parents lived in Providence communities. Rich: Serving on the Board helped open my eyes to know what the organization is all about. It really hit me how important it was to help people who couldn’t be at home anymore, and how important it was that they live in community with others. Throughout my work on the Board, I became invested in the work of Providence. Participating in decisions, I felt ownership in the organization as something I always want to be a part of, however I can be. Esther: What made me really want to serve was seeing the difference between the care my mom got at a Providence community compared with how she was treated at a non-Providence community. They cared not just about her, but about our whole family. I am so grateful, and I want to do whatever I can to make sure it continues. Rich: Providence takes care to another level. What a big difference it makes in people’s lives to be surrounded by community! I had seen it in my parents, and again as I interacted with people whose
lives were changed positively in their later years because
they moved to a Providence
community. Taking care of the elderly is something people don’t think about until you find out you need care for someone you love, or for yourself. At that point, you’ll be happy there are Providence locations where care is available. But don’t wait to give until then. Esther: I love seeing younger people getting involved, whether it’s serving on our Board or if it’s the local schools getting involved. Hopefully, these memories they are making and the care they are seeing will help them tell family and friends, and maybe they will develop a passion for Providence that will stay with them all their lives. Rich: God has been good to us, and we’ve been blessed by a good career that allows us to be generous. But what’s important to us, what sets Providence apart, is that the mission of Providence is to enhance the lives of those we serve in the name of Jesus Christ. That is what I want to invest in. In the end, all I’ve been given—it already belongs to God anyway.
To donate, use the QR Code with your phone or go to GiveToProvidence.com Providence Life Services is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization
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