The Vopat Family: Creating an endowment honors their parents' legacy

For Damian and Linda Vopat, Jennings was the clear choice when it came to deciding on skilled care for Damian's mother, Vivian, in May 2011.

Vivian was at University Hospitals following a stroke, and she needed to leave the hospital to receive skilled care. “Our first choice was Jennings," says Linda, Vivian's daughter-in-law. "We were so pleased Jennings (had availability to serve her). It was a big relief to the whole family, we jumped at the acceptance…we wanted her in the place that would provide the best care.”

When the family visited they “went home feeling that she was not just cared for, but genuinely loved”. They found Jennings to be a peaceful place, where the staff is personable and accommodating not just to the resident but to the entire family. The Vopat family feels that she had quickly become “a part of the Jennings family.” Damian and his wife Linda are extremely pleased with the care provided by Jennings. Linda says that Vivian was “cared for as well as she would have been at home.”

Damian Vopat’s parents, Norman and Vivian, were married for 64 years—and 52 of those years were spent in Garfield Heights. The community means a lot to the entire family. They were very aware of Jennings and the great reputation that it holds in their community. Linda has worked in the field of aging for decades, currently serving as Director of Human Services for the Maple Heights Office on Aging. Linda says that in her experience she has found that, “the reputation of Jennings has stood out as an organization of excellent service.”

Upon Vivian’s death many individuals made contributions to the family in her memory. The family chose to support Jennings with those donations. While discussing their gift, they learned of the opportunity for a named endowment and felt that it would be a great tribute to Damian’s parents. They established the Norman and Vivian Vopat Skilled Nursing Care Endowment Fund at Jennings. Linda feels a named endowment not only expresses their gratitude for the excellent care that their loved one received, but a “way for them to live on in the community.”

Linda’s experience in the field of aging has opened her eyes to the lack of funding for non-profits. She understands the importance of an endowment to the stability and sustainability of an organization like Jennings, highlighting that “the endowment is a way to ensure the excellence of care continues and is available to others.” In her professional experience she has also seen first-hand the impact Jennings has had in the community. She notes, “When you give to Jennings, you give to the extended community.”