On April 1, 2013, my father passed away at 88 after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease with Dementia. He also had endured Age-Related Macular Degeneration which robbed him of his eyesight. At 77 he had never worn glasses, not even for the phone book (remember those). Then in the course of about 8 weeks he lost the vision in one eye. A few years later he began to lose the vision in his second eye. These two diseases transformed my father from a strong, independent man to one who was completely dependent on others. We, as a family, along with caregivers, tried our best to care for him well. Looking back, I believe we, especially my mom, did a really great job. But we had questions, a lot of questions and did not always know where to turn for answers to learn what was available. What happened over the course of those years that preceded his death led to the spark in my heart to seek to help others do better. I firmly believe God has called me to this mission. It is with a grateful heart that I share that others whom I greatly respect and admire have joined me on this mission to minister with and to Older Adults. We truly seek to empower with information and enrich with opportunities for fun, education, outreach, and service so that all Older Adults we reach will have an abundant third-third of life. 

Winter Grace Senior Ministries was established in 2017 with a mission to Empower and Enrich the Lives of Older Adults through Christian Initiatives Connecting People, Ideas, and Resources. This mission is the result of deep thankfulness for God’s love for each of us and a recognition that all people, regardless of age, are children of God. All people need care and nurture. All people have been given gifts and talents with which to serve others. All people can grow in their faith as disciples of Jesus Christ as long as they live. While we are an unashamedly Christian organization, we seek to serve those of all faith traditions or those without a faith community. Jesus taught to love God and to love others. That is our intention at Winter Grace. 

Winter Grace seeks to work with churches to assist in the growth of Older Adult Ministries and to assist individuals in congregations and their surrounding communities to connect with the wide variety of resources available to have an abundant third-third of life. We seek to create a vibrant network locally and a community nationally that will help fulfill our mission. We are committed to this journey and it is our hope and prayer you will join us. 

Blessings,

Debbie Burgio, President, Winter Grace Senior Ministries, Inc.