Impact Report 2023: Faithfulness
Mosaic honors our legacy by staying grounded in what matters and doing the right thing even when no one’s looking.
Faithful Support Inspires Donor
A more-than-40-year history with Mosaic services for her brother has confirmed for Kathi Vitas that Mosaic continues to earn her trust as a charitable organization worth giving to.
“I am a donor because I believe in the mission,” Kathi said. “The money we donate to Mosaic providers for programs that enrich and empower the people they serve, beyond just caregiving.”
Kathi’s brother, Clay Lankford, moved to a Mosaic campus after he turned 21, which was 42 years ago. She called it an act of faith by her parents.
“When Clay moved to the Martin Luther Home (later Mosaic), it was faith that allowed my parents to turn over their son to the care of the staff in Beatrice,” she said. “For over 40 years, Clay was well cared for and had a comfortable life there.”
The family, Kathi, her parents and two other brothers, felt a partnership with Mosaic throughout that time, she said. They were able to visit as often as they wanted, and Clay was happy with his life.
That partnership continued in 2023, when Clay moved into the Mosaic at Home® shared living service. Clay’s siblings worked with Mosaic to choose the home provider who would not only welcome Clay to live with them, but also continue to provide the daily supports he needs in that home environment. They wanted a former staff member and her husband Brie and Mike Rehrs to take on the role, and the Rehrs were delighted at the opportunity.
Kathi said the decision to move from the campus was because the family believed the home environment would be a better fit for Clay as he moved into his “retirement” years. The move has been good for Clay—he has continued to learn new things and do new things. It also has been a great experience for Brie and Mike.
“We absolutely love what we do,” Brie said. “It has brought a lot of joy to our lives as well.”
Here’s a blog post Mosaic published recently about Clay and his life through Mosaic at Home. You can also view a video of him below.
“It has been our experience that our donations to Mosaic are put to very good use to directly benefit the people served,” Kathi said. “We have personally seen the impact of these programs and consider our gifts to have a very powerful impact on very deserving lives. I would encourage others to become acquainted with Mosaic and trust that their gifts will be very powerful.”
percent of Mosaic donors are family members of those we support
Donor gifts are critical to people supported, allowing them to receive basic necessities such as dental care and specialized therapies to leisure items such as concert tickets.
Faithfully Honoring a Dying Wish
When Chris Durham’s heart function quickly deteriorated, his doctors recommended he move from his Mosaic home of 26 years into a medical facility of some type, anticipating he’d need more care as he moved toward death. His guardian advocated for hospice to come into Mosaic instead and told them she believed Chris would have a better end-of-life in his home with those he loved.
It meant the difference between Chris dying in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people around and dying in his home among those he had come to know as his family. Highlighting Mosaic’s value of Faithfulness, Chris’s wishes were honored, and he died in the way he chose—at home.
“He made it known he wanted to be in his own home,” said Rachel Pemberton, Executive Director for Mosaic in Northern Indiana. “The others that live there had become like family, and the staff knew and loved him.”
Prior to his health challenge, Chris was physically active and engaged—even as a participant in the location’s day services, he would often help other people with lunch and activities. He was also known for his enjoyment of telling staff members, “You’re fired!” Behind that was his desire to hear “You’re hired,” because Mosaic learned he really wanted a job. So Mosaic gave him one. For about 10 hours each week, Chris did different jobs around the office and day service site.
Rachel said, “He had money, but earning it is different,” Rachel said. “He felt so empowered.”
Within a few short months after, though, Chris started slowing down. First he was running out of breath and needed to take naps. Then other organs beyond his heart started to be affected, and his world grew smaller as he spent more and more time at home.
Chris understood what was happening to him, and in conversation with this staff, said he didn’t want any big deal made of him. So they prepared as needed to give him the quiet, secluded time he wanted.
But Chris changed his mind. He decided instead that he wanted an end-of-life celebration while he was still around to enjoy it. In his home, staff hosted a big pizza party to which he invited friends from the program, staff who had worked with him and others. More than two dozen people attended.
“He was very happy and calm after the party,” said Cindy Thomas, who worked closely with Chris. “He seemed satisfied, like he knew everyone was there because they loved him. He knew we were there for him.”
A few weeks later, Chris died in his home, as he had wished.
