Seniors celebrate 10 years in happy home

After her husband passed away in 1996, Patricia Bowler knew caring for the 4,800-square-foot home the couple bought in 1970 was going to be impossible.

But when she and her family began looking into seniors homes, the results were disappointing.

"When you make the transition to the caregiver of your parents, you see the need for seniors housing," said Patricia's son Ralph.

"The conditions were horrible. The best we could do was get put on an 18-month waiting list."

Patricia didn't want to leave her beloved home, but she needed caretaking. So when a fellow churchgoer struck up a conversation about the need for a house where seniors could live together, Patricia had the perfect solution.

She came up with an idea that would provide her with the best of both worlds, and do good at the same time.

In 2001, Bowler approached the Emmaus Place Society and suggested the society establish a home for seniors on her property.

She only had one request - that she get to remain in her own home.

"Because of what [the society] was able to put together... she is about to turn a ripe 98 and is still there," said Ralph.

The society and Bowler's family came to an agreement in 2002 to rent the property.

Shortly thereafter, the first group of six residents moved into the senior supportive housing unit at Emmaus House, located at 6373 Hillcrest Place.

And in 2004, the society purchased the property from the Bowler family and major internal and external renovations began.

On Saturday, the society celebrated its 10th anniversary providing a caring community to seniors with the help of Emmaus House.

The key to the house's success is the endless work done by volunteers both in the house and on the board, said Ralph.

"If you look up angels in the dictionary, you'd see their pictures," he said. "It is wonderful. It is a community in there. They are always Wii-bowling, laughing, spending time together, it's quite an achievement. It's a happy time in their lives. They feel part of something."

The Emmaus non-profit society was formed in 1999 with the purpose of performing a service with the city that would meet some specific social need.

Initially, the board, led by Pastor Arlo Johnson of the Westside Family Fellowship, invested a start-up fund of $35,000 and expanded their financial base to more than $200,000 by 2004.