Corrie Ten Boom, famous writer and hero to many once wrote, “In order to realize the worth of the anchor we need to feel the stress of the storm.” Tumultuous times are certain to find us all. From minor to major, the figurative storms of life are inevitable.
In the late 1950’s the storms for aging Texans weren’t so different than they are today. The pain of loneliness and isolation felt by elders around the state had become apparent to a group of Methodist ministers, along with issues like housing, healthcare, transportation, and meals. In an act of faith in 1958, the Texas Annual Conference chartered the Methodist Home for Older People, later to be renamed Methodist Retirement Communities (MRC), a ministry dedicated to caring for older adults. Despite their faith, nothing happened for many years. The concept for this ministry existed only on paper, that is until a storm came through.
On September 11, 1961, Hurricane Carla slammed into the Texas coast becoming the most intense tropical cyclone to make landfall in the 20th century. A brand new, lesser-known newsman at the time named Dan Rather reported live from Galveston during the storm, marking the first ever live television broadcast during a hurricane. A display that would go on to be mimicked by many news anchors in the future. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, a Texan himself, toured the devastation in the state saying, “As always, Texans are arising to a challenge. We have suffered hurricane, tornado, and floods, but we in Texas are a bold and brave people.” President John F. Kennedy issued a disaster declaration for the state and deployed United States Marines to Galveston to patrol the devastated areas. Citizens in the area also jumped into action.
Well-known for their philanthropic nature, the Moody family opened the doors of the famous Buccaneer Hotel to those who had lost their homes in the storm as the eleven-story building somehow endured minimal damage compared to the devastation seen across the island.
In the months that followed, the city continued to recover. However, the Moody family found that the hotel had exactly 39 occupants that were greatly limited with nowhere to go, each of them elderly. It was then they turned to the Texas Annual Conference to donate the building to become a retirement community for older adults. The gift came with the hotel garage, swimming pool and $350,000 to repair the damage caused by Hurricane Carla.
The former hotel reopened its doors on January 1, 1962 as a retirement community called Moody House. These thirty-nine seniors, each paying $135 per month, would become the first ever residents of MRC.
Today, MRC is the largest faith-based, non-profit senior living organization in the State of Texas serving over 2000 residents in 13 senior living communities to include Bryan (since 1970), Huntsville (since 1985), Lufkin (since 1992), Texarkana (since 1996), La Porte (since 2002), League City (since 2015), College Station (since 2018), and Fort Worth (since 2022).
From day one the organization has remained true to its roots. Governed by a volunteer board, MRC reinvests every dollar earned to enrich the lives of the residents with improved programs, services, and amenities rather than lining the pockets of shareholders. Most importantly, the organization continues to mirror and honor the actions of the founders. Just as the Moody family refused to turn their back on these 39 elders with limited resources and nowhere to go, MRC commits to caring for residents who have outlived their money through no fault of their own, giving back a significant amount of benevolent care each year through the donor funded program, MRC’s Covenant Fund.
MRC proudly expanded into the Fort Worth market with Stevenson Oaks offering an amenity rich community boasting of 172 Independent Living apartments, 40 Assisted Living apartments, 24 Memory Support suites, and a robust outpatient rehabilitation program offering physical, occupational, speech therapies.
While visitors are sure to find Stevenson Oaks to be an appealing location, innovative design, pleasing décor, and comfortable furnishings, each of these things would rank very low on the list of why people move there. Even the impressive amenities and comprehensive list of services aren’t at the top.
Instead, the things that seem to endear residents and their families to Stevenson Oaks are much, much deeper, it’s about connection, assurance, and purpose. While many might suggest the greatest barriers older adults face while aging is largely defined by physical or health limitations, MRC carries a philosophy that is unlike others in the industry, the belief that the greatest barriers are actually loneliness, boredom, and a general lack of purpose.
Loneliness is usually the outcome of prolonged isolation and can be more detrimental to one’s overall health than most may initially suspect. In fact, The U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory report says loneliness increases the risk of premature death by 26%, an outcome comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes per day. It is important to note that a person can be around others, and still be lonely, which means the cure for loneliness is genuine connection. Those who go without are likely to see a major decline in health.
Boredom is equally dangerous as it commonly leads to depression, anxiety, and an overall decrease in the quality of life if allowed to become perpetual. Even more concerning is when boredom leads to risky or unhealthy behavior. Boredom is a signal that life is no longer challenging, exciting, or purposeful, all core needs for the human experience. Perhaps one of the most staggering outcomes of prolonged boredom is the increased risk of cognitive decline as the brain is severely lacking in mental stimulation.
Finally, a lack of purpose is often the first red flag to signal the troubles associated with loneliness and boredom are waiting just around the corner, along with an even crueler companion, apathy. The human experience is not best lived as a consumer, but a participant in the world around you. There is a give and take that nurtures meaning and satisfaction in each of us that we matter and have a greater purpose to fulfill.
The staff at Stevenson Oaks are uniquely attuned to making sure each resident feels known and valued as well as feeling purposeful and empowered. While the amenities and spaces are sure to impress, the real heartbeat of Stevenson Oaks seems to thump in rhythm with the early founders of MRC who envisioned a ministry that could be like an anchor for older adults facing the heavy winds and stormy conditions brought on by aging. A place where elders can avoid the perils of loneliness and boredom while anchoring into purposeful living.
Stevenson Oaks resident Marilyn McClain-Jones shared, “A comradery exists at Stevenson Oaks like nothing I’ve ever been a part of before in my life. While I can have as much privacy as I want, I can find companionship just outside my door when I want it. There are engaging and challenging adventures awaiting me each day, while opportunities to bring my talents and passions to the table abound.”
She continued, “I loved the home I owned before coming here, but the more I understood about emotional, physical, mental, and social wellbeing, I realized there are more areas of my life I needed to tend to that can never be satisfied in my house. My house was just a house, this is a community and it’s just what I need at this stage of life.”
When asked about how they weather the storms of life McClain-Jones summed it up perfectly saying, “Oh the storms have come, and they will surely come again. But now that I’m at Stevenson Oaks, I’ll be ready.”
Marilyn McClain-Jones Pictured Below- Stevenson Oaks Resident