RV Gift Drives Enhancements
This 2018 story from our Asbury Foundation FOCUS Magazine archives is one of many inspiring stories sharing the actions of our donor family.
Pat and Barbara O’Neal are second-generation residents of Asbury Solomons. Both Pat’s parents and Barbara’s mother lived there, making the couple frequent visitors over the course of many years.
Pat’s parents, who were among the community’s first residents, had a gorgeous river-view apartment that was the envy of many. When Pat’s parents passed away, he and Barbara, who were ready to make their own retirement plans, didn’t want to miss the chance to make that very same apartment their home — and so began a family tradition of retirement living at Solomons.
Along with their furnishings and other possessions, the couple, who loved to travel, also moved in their beautiful Mandalay motorhome.
As involved members of the community, the couple were active leaders and volunteered for for multiple committees and causes and the lure of RV travel began to loosen. And then something clicked: Why not donate it to the Asbury Foundation? The couple had always made annual gifts to support benevolent care, but this was an opportunity to do something special.
The couple worked with the Foundation and a third-party nonprofit that handled vehicle donations. The motorhome was picked up in just a couple of days and auctioned off within weeks. When thinking about what kind of impact they would like to have with this gift, Pat and Barbara decided to support improvements to the Health Care Center and Assisted Living as well as benevolent care.
Pat’s parents, Scott and Nita, and Barbara’s mom, Nancy, spent time in the Health Care Center. “We became like family to the staff and spent many long hours in ‘therapy sessions’ with our new family and cherished the experience,” says Pat. “Although we can never thank them enough, this project gave us an opportunity to repay them, a little, for their support, while making the space more enjoyable for residents.”
Through this generous gift, the dining areas were refreshed with new paint, lighting, linens, and beautiful décor.
The O’Neal’s’ unique vehicle gift will have a positive impact at Asbury Solomons for years to come.
