At MMC, it’s not just a place for residents to receive care; it’s a community where bonds are formed and support is extended in times of need. Recently, our organization witnessed a heartwarming display of compassion as residents came together to rally around a beloved staff member facing significant health challenges. In an incredible show of empathy and solidarity, they created a beautiful prayer blanket for her, symbolizing the collective love and well wishes.

It is moments like these that truly showcase the strength of our community. Residents who have come to MMC seeking care are not only recipients of kindness, but they are also eager to reciprocate and offer support. They recognize that the staff members who dedicate themselves to ensuring their well-being are an essential part of their extended family. The creation of the prayer blanket for their caregiver is just one example of how love and care circulate within our community, creating an atmosphere of warmth and unity.

As an organization, we are immensely proud of the benevolence and generosity displayed by our residents. However, their support is not the only form of assistance that has been provided to the staff member and her family. Her peers and fellow staff members also have taken steps to ensure that she and her family receive the necessary support they need during this challenging time. Team members have offered a variety of resources and services to alleviate any burdens they may be facing, emphasizing that we stand with our staff members as a united family.

At MMC, we firmly believe that compassion is at the core of what we do. The bond between residents and staff transcends the typical caregiver-patient relationship, evolving into a genuine sense of community. The events surrounding the making of the prayer blanket and the subsequent support extended are a testament to the love and care that permeate every inch of our organization. Together, we navigate both the joys and challenges of life, knowing that in the end, we are family.

Moravian Manor Communities and Morningstar Living—two faith-based, not-for-profit pillars in senior living in Pennsylvania—have received regulatory approval to finalize its affiliation, and have formed Unitas Communities to serve as the parent company. The communities had been actively exploring forming an affiliation for the better part of a year, with their respective boards and related task forces conducting due diligence within each organization. This past summer, both Boards unanimously approved the affiliation.

Under the affiliation model, both organizations will retain their own separate, corporate identities and continue to operate separately financially and legally, while sharing key services and resources. This allows them to capitalize on shared strengths to secure their positioning for the future. New leadership roles include:

• • President & CEO: J. David Swartley, President and CEO of Moravian Manor Communities, has stepped into the key leadership role of President and CEO for both Life Plan Communities.
  • Executive Director, Moravian Manor Communities: Cynthia Meier, formerly Vice President of Finance at Moravian Manor Communities, has been named as Executive Director for Moravian Manor Communities. She will oversee the day-to-day operations there.  
  • Executive Director, Morningstar Living: Susan Capobianco has been named as Executive Director for Morningstar Living and will oversee the day-to-day operations there. She also will continue in her current role as Chief Marketing Officer at Morningstar Living. 
  • Chief Financial Officer: Christopher Hunt, who had been serving as Morningstar Living’s Chief Financial Officer, will step into the dual role for both Moravian Manor Communities and Morningstar Living. 
  • Brynn Lee, Chief Human Resources Officer: Brynn Lee, who had been serving as Morningstar Living’s Chief Human Resources Officer, will step into the dual role for both Moravian Manor Communities and Morningstar Living. 

The establishment of Unitas Communities (unitascommunities.org) will serve as an umbrella under which shared services and any future endeavors will be developed. The name Unitas comes from the Moravian heritage, with the Moravian Church officially known as Unitas Fratrum (Unity of Brethern) since 1457. Leadership is focused on the Moravian Church’s emphasis in living its motto: “In essentials, unity, in non-essentials liberty, and in all things love.” 

Each community will maintain a smaller Board, with local leadership and resident representation, while the parent company Board establishes representation for both communities’ as well as that of the Eastern District Synod of the Moravian Church, who sponsored each of the organizations years ago to originally serve their aging church population.

Unitas Communities Board of Trustees

Rich Harney
Rick Jackson
Melissa Johnson
Rex Knowlton
Edward Nawrocki
Donna Sabol

“Long-term strategies guide our decisions as faith-based, not-for-profit organizations,” commented David Swartley, President & CEO. “Both of our communities do not have shareholders to whom we must pay quarterly dividends, allowing the Board of Trustees to focus on long-term initiatives. Most leaders in our space believe that small, stand-alone long-term care facilities will struggle to survive. Thus, our affiliation, which we hope will grow and evolve to include more communities in the future.

Starting in January this year, we rolled out a new magazine to our community… Pursuits! Residential living residents enthusiastically welcomed this monthly resource to learn about all the things they could pursue to do, learn and share at Moravian Manor Communities. Jennifer Shutt, Director of Community Life, serves as the editor and driving force for its production and our long-term partner Stratega Marketing creates the design.

Unbeknownst to us, this spring, Stratega Marketing secretly submitted Pursuits to the National Mature Media Awards^® program. Aside from being proud of the design, Stratega felt it was a strong publication that demonstrates the quality lifestyle available at our life plan community. Just last month, we learned that Pursuits won a Bronze award in the Magazine category. What an honor to have Pursuits recognized alongside projects produced by industry experts, including local community Tel Hai, AARP and others!

The National Mature Media Awards® is the nation’s largest awards program of its kind, annually recognizing the nation’s best marketing, communications, educational materials and programs produced for adults 50 and older. The winners are selected by a distinguished panel of judges from across the United States, which represent years of expertise working in the mature market. Using a rating scale of 1 to 100, judges rank the entries based on format, content, creativity, relevance and overall quality. 

This recognition further demonstrates MMC’s commitment to creating an engaging, stimulating, and enriching environment for residents. Our Community Life team continuously strives to create meaningful programs and activities for residents to enjoy, and Pursuits is an integral part of their work. We are especially appreciative of the support that Stratega Marketing provides in producing the magazine. Congratulations to all involved for their hard work and dedication in making Pursuits such a success!

If you haven’t seen the magazine yet, be sure to check it out! The current issue and several back issues are available to peruse at www.moravianmanorcommunities.org/publications.