Guided by Christian compassion, WesleyLife believes everyone should have the opportunity to live with purpose, meaning, and joy. Through the
WesleyLife Promise, donors help ensure residents who outlive their financial
resources through no fault of their own can continue calling Brio home.
Beth M.* and her husband, Carl, moved to Brio of Johnston in 2019, excited for a new chapter together. Both were active, healthy, and financially prepared for retirement. They expected Brio, a WesleyLife community for healthy living just north of Des Moines, would be home for the rest of their lives.
Then life changed. Carl experienced a small stroke in 2021. Although he recovered well, a larger stroke in 2023 dramatically altered his health and independence. As his condition declined, he moved to Brio’s health center and eventually to the community’s Elan Cottage household, where he now receives specialized dementia care.
Careful planning
Beth and Carl had prepared responsibly for retirement. Years of careful planning allowed them to move to Brio with confidence, believing they had the resources to support whatever the future might bring. What they could not have anticipated was how quickly the cost of Carl’s changing health needs would consume the savings they had spent a lifetime building.
“I remember looking at our finances and thinking, ‘How did this happen so fast?’” Beth says. “We did everything we thought we were supposed to do. I honestly believed I would have to leave Brio and move in with my daughter.”
But because generous donors had chosen to support Brio’s Good Samaritan Fund, another path was available.
Beth had begun arranging to move when a Brio team member asked whether she had heard about the WesleyLife Promise. Supported through gifts to Brio’s Good Samaritan Fund, the Promise exists to help residents continue calling Brio home when unforeseen circumstances exhaust the resources they spent a lifetime building.
A gift: remaining in the home she loves
Instead of leaving the community she loved, Beth was able to remain surrounded by familiar neighbors and trusted team members just a short walk from Carl.
“The Promise gave me something I desperately needed: peace of mind,” Beth says. “I could still visit Carl every day, stay connected to friends who have become family, and continue living in the place that feels like home.”
Beth’s daughter, Sydney, says the support changed the future for their entire family.
“Knowing Mom didn’t have to start over somewhere else was an incredible gift,” Sydney says. “She could focus on being Dad’s wife instead of worrying about where she would live or how she would afford it. Our family will always be grateful for that.”
Donor support meant more than financial assistance for Beth’s family. It provided stability, dignity, and the reassurance that they wouldn’t have to face a tough chapter alone. For Teresa Krueger, executive director of Brio of Johnston, stories like Beth’s reflect the purpose behind the community’s Good Samaritan Fund.
“We’re honored to help residents like Beth remain in the community they call home,” Krueger says. “The WesleyLife Promise exists because generations of generous donors have cared for their neighbors. Their compassion allows us to provide stability, dignity, and peace of mind when life changes.”
Generous donors make all the difference
Today, Beth remains in the community she loves, just a short walk from Carl and surrounded by neighbors and team members who feel like family.
That outcome was made possible by donors.
Their generosity ensured Beth did not have to leave her home during one of the most challenging times in her life. Instead, she was able to remain where she was known, supported, and cared for.
In the years ahead, other residents will face circumstances they never anticipated. Through support of Brio’s Good Samaritan Fund, generous supporters will continue helping neighbors remain at home, receive the care they need, and experience the peace of mind Beth found when she needed it most.
Make your impact today.zz
*Resident names and other identifying information have been changed.