Mennonite Home Communities of Ohio (MHCO) presented a $4,000 gift to the Swiss Community Historical Society for its Heritage Center capital campaign.  The gift was made during the Society’s annual Swiss Day program.

Laura Voth, CEO of Mennonite Home Communities of Ohio, presented the check to Gary Wetherill of the Society.

The occasion was the fulfillment of a 2010 commitment when MHCO unexpectedly received a large gift from the estate of James and Frieda Basinger. 

“We were so pleased and surprised by the generosity of James and Frieda that we wanted to share this gift with the larger community,” said Voth.

“It is such a privilege to be able to ‘pay it forward’,”  Voth said. “I concluded that the Swiss Community Historical Society and Mennonite Home Communities are in the same business – to honor and preserve the heritage of our community. We just approach it in different ways.” 

MHCO is home to many elders with Swiss heritage and personal connections to the Society. These connections spur special programs such as a monthly Swiss-speaking gathering at Maple Crest.  

"We are so grateful for the donation from MHCO.  It is wonderful to have another organization join us in building for the future and seeing the importance of preserving the legacy of the past,” said Julie Stratton, Capital Campaign co-chair.

“Those residing at MHCO are our greatest wealth of wisdom and it is such a wonderful gesture of affirmation to have them support our vision with their gift,” she added.

The generosity of James and Frieda Basinger to MHCO continues to play out in ways. The gift provided a significant boost to the New Vision: Transforming Elder Living capital campaign. 

The campaign had a $2 million goal and was designed to bring Green House Homes to MHCO. Over $1,925,000 has been received to date when the Basinger gift was received.

In 2012, the first two Green House homes in Ohio were constructed on the Willow Ridge campus across the road from Maple Crest. Each home provides 24-hour nursing care in private rooms for 10 elders. 

“The gift from the Basinger estate, along with the generosity of hundreds of others in the community, really made this new model of nursing care possible for us,” said Doug Luginbill, Director of Fund Development and Church Relations at MHCO. 

“It has been very successful in meeting the needs of elders in a home environment.  We recognized the generosity of the Basingers by naming one of the homes “Frieda House,” Luginbill added.

The Mennonite Memorial Fund Board, which manages all contributions received by MHCO, decided to support non-profits in both the Pandora and Bluffton communities since MHCO provides services in both communities. 

In the spring of 2015, MHCO presented $1,000 checks to Release Time/Weekday Christian Education and the Pandora-Gilboa Athletic Boosters prior to presenting this gift to the Swiss Community Historical Society.