06/18/2025
CHECK THE DATE, THIS EVENT IS SUNDAY, JUNE 22 at 12:30
Mount Hope Nazarene
Retirement Community to
host a summer BBQ and groundbreaking ceremony
By Rochelle A. Shenk
Mount Hope Nazarene Retirement Community will host a summer backyard barbecue picnic and groundbreaking ceremony from noon to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, June 22. The groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of two new duplex cottages will begin at 1:30 p.m. This outdoor event will be held rain or shine on the grounds of the retirement community, 3026 Mt. Hope Home Road, Manheim.
The catered chicken barbecue meal will feature a menu of grilled pulled pork, grilled pulled chicken, a choice of BBQ sauces and served on a soft roll, home-style baked macaroni and cheese, savory baked beans, creamy coleslaw, and desserts. Large event tent seating will be available; however, people are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
Preorders for the barbecue meal will be accepted through Sunday, June 15. While additional meals may be available on the day of the event, meals will be available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. There is a suggested donation of $17 per meal and patrons are able to pay at the event. Payment can be made via cash or check, payable to Mount Hope Nazarene Retirement Community. For details on the meal and reserving meals, contact Kris Wilson, director of advancement, at 717-682-8026 or email [email protected].
Wilson said the fundraising barbecue event and the groundbreaking ceremony is also part of the retirement community’s 56th-anniversary celebration.
Located in Rapho Township, Mount Hope is home to 50 nursing care residents, who rely on the facility for skilled nursing and rehabilitation services, as well as those who reside in the retirement community’s six existing independent suite-style, first-floor living cottages. She said adding additional independent living cottages reflects the retirement community’s ongoing commitment to serving seniors and individuals with disabilities, many of whom live on limited or fixed incomes.
“Most of our residents do not have the financial resources or the broader supportive network to cover the cost of their care; 80% of our residents do not have funds to pay for their nursing care. So, the primary payment available to Mount. Hope is from Medicaid, the state assistance program. Medicaid payments simply do not cover the cost of the required care. This challenge is known as the GAP or the difference between the private-pay cost of care and the amount we receive from Medicaid”, Wilson explained.
She said the average gap between the state Medicaid reimbursement rate and the actual cost of care for residents on state assistance is $200 per day per resident. “The Medicaid funding gap makes it increasingly difficult for Mount. Hope to absorb costs of benevolent care without searching for other alternatives to offset rising costs and continuing with creative fundraising initiatives,” she said.
She said for over 56 years, Mount Hope has been rich in giving charitable care to those in need. “We have a great reputation in the local community for offering excellent, affordable care in a friendly, family-like environment with the most wonderful, loving staff. Mount Hope has always aimed to be good stewards of its resources, managing them conservatively,” Wilson said.
The cost to construct the two new duplex cottages is about $1.2 million. A capital campaign to fund the construction kicked off in April 2024. Wilson said the capital campaign raised about half the funds for the construction project, the balance was raised through the auction of a 28-acre farm property in March. She said the farm property, which had been owned by Mount Hope for 55 years, was across the road from the retirement community’s campus, and the retirement community could not build the land, which is zoned for agriculture.
“We had committed to not constructing the new cottages until we had all the funds raised, so we’re thrilled to be able to hold the groundbreaking ceremony this month. These independent living cottages will increase Mount Hope’s revenue, ultimately helping to support the nursing home’s mission of serving the Manheim community. Our goal is to have the new cottages move-in ready by the first half of the new year 2026. This new construction will provide housing options for families and connect Mount Hope to the local community like never before,” she said.
“This dynamic project marks the beginning of the first expansion of Mount Hope since Ephrata Grace Point Church purchased the facility over 19 years ago,” Wilson said
Today, Mount Hope Nazarene Retirement Community is a not-for-profit ministry with ties to Grace Point Church of the Nazarene, Ephrata. It was founded in 1969 as Mount Hope Dunkard Brethren Church Home. The Dunkard Brethren Church purchased the Mount Hope Meetinghouse from Chiques Church in 1965 to establish a home for seniors and people with disabilities needing care. The meetinghouse, which is still visible, was built in 1910 by the Chiques congregation as a place of worship. The property was purchased by Ephrata Grace Point Church in 2006.
Rochelle Shenk is a correspondent for the Lititz Record Express. She welcomes your comments and questions at [email protected].
