Lutheran Services Carolinas is pleased to announce that Trinity Living Center (TLC), its adult day services program in Salisbury, North Carolina, has received three generous grants to support its award-winning intergenerational programming. Funding from the Margaret C. Woodson Foundation, the Blanche and Julian Robertson Family Foundation, and the Foundation for a Healthy Carolina will allow TLC to deepen its impact through art, wellness, and community engagement activities.

Trinity Living Center provides a safe, creative, and social environment for adults with Alzheimer’s, dementia, and intellectual or developmental disabilities. Intergenerational programs bring youth of all ages together with TLC participants for meaningful activities — including reading buddies, art projects, cooking classes, gardening, and wellness lessons. These interactions foster joy, connection, and personal growth across generations.

“We are so excited and grateful for the community support,” said TLC Executive Director Beth Huber. “These funds will allow us to expand our partnerships with area schools and preschools, providing our participants an opportunity to interact in a meaningful way with younger people and giving children the chance to connect with seniors. It’s a win-win for everybody.”

Grant funding will support TLC’s certification as an Opening Minds through Art (OMA) center, expand its EngAGE Together program, and introduce new health and wellness activities designed to benefit both older adults and young participants. Trinity Living Center partners with local schools and organizations, including Partners in Learning, Salisbury Academy, Isenberg Elementary, Henderson Independent High School, Rowan-Cabarrus Early College, and Catawba College.

By strengthening intergenerational connections, these programs help reduce social isolation, improve physical and mental well-being, and build a more connected community.

From home-baked snacks to handmade blankets, a little extra love can go a long way. And that’s exactly what Trinity Living Center (TLC) participants and teammates are providing to creative arts students at Henderson Independent High School, a public alternative learning program in Salisbury, N.C.

For the past several years, Henderson students have worked with artists from Salisbury’s Center for Faith & the Arts to build positive self-expression skills. Through the Center’s Class Act program, artist-in-residence Shane Manier and other professionals lead the students in creative projects such as painting and poetry – practicing skills like conflict resolution and anger management along the way. “We’ve had two students decide to leave a gang situation as a result of this program,” Manier says.

But as with so many small nonprofit programs, Class Act operates on a limited budget – which is why an in-kind partnership with TLC was a win for everyone involved.

“We’re happy to provide snacks for the art students each week,” says TLC Life Enrichment Specialist Andrea Moore. “I work with our folks to make cupcakes, cookies, and popcorn for the kids, and we include little notes of encouragement. It’s a great way for our participants to feel they’re making a difference in the wider community.”

One TLC participant recently crocheted a blanket for every student in the arts program. Pastor Jill King, the chaplain at Trinity Oaks senior living community, blessed the blankets before they were presented to students.

“Many of our students are in foster care situations and don’t get to spend time with their families of origin during the holidays. Some of them don’t receive Christmas gifts,” notes Manier. “When we delivered the blankets to the students, I expected some of the boys to think they were ‘uncool’ – but the boys were the most excited of all!”

“Little gestures like snacks and blankets mean so much,” Manier adds. “Knowing there are people in the community who care makes our students feel empowered. It helps them develop a positive sense of self.”

There’s nothing a dream and a great spaghetti recipe can’t do.

Over the holidays, 6-year-old Peyton Clontz and her mother, Katie Clontz, were chatting about the future.

“We were sitting there talking and she said, ‘Mommy, I want to open a restaurant,’” Katie Clontz said.

After some further discussion, Peyton Clontz decided she wanted to serve spaghetti at this future restaurant. When her mother asked her what she would so with the money she made, Peyton Clontz answered, “I want to use it to help people.”

And with that, the idea for a spaghetti sale was formed.

With the help of her family, Peyton Clontz began spreading the word that she was selling spaghetti plates for $8 a person to raise money to help people. The sale brought in $400.

“I’m really proud of her,” Katie Clontz said. “I’m just so proud of the fact that a 6-year-old came up with this is what she wanted to do for Christmas, and that she wanted to help others.”

The sale was a success, now they just had to find someone to help with it.

Katie Clontz reached out to Trinity Oaks, a senior living community in Salisbury, and a representative told her about Trinity Living Center (TLC). TLC is a community-based adult day service designed to meet the needs of seniors and functionally and/or cognitively impaired adults. It is a program of Lutheran Services Carolinas serving Rowan County.

Peyton Clontz and her family used the money to buy each TLC participant a stocking with gifts inside and gave them out at the center’s New Year’s Eve party.

“The participants were so excited to see what a blessing Peyton truly is,” TLC Life Enrichment Director Andrea Moore said. “It gave them hope for the future of our youth.”

As the participants counted down, Peyton Clontz was also given the honor of dropping the ball at the party.

“She loved being there and doing that,” Katie Clontz said. “Our whole family is ready to go back and visit and help with whatever they need.”

It’s not a coincidence that the initials for Trinity Living Center are “TLC,” because tender, loving care is what the center is all about. Long-term participant Ruth is a great example of the miraculous things that can be accomplished with TLC — the place and the concept.

“If it hadn’t been for the Lord and TLC, I don’t know where I’d be,” Ruth said. “Because they always come to your rescue no matter what.”

When Ruth came to Trinity Living Center, she was anxious and depressed. She had become increasingly socially isolated, and with her physical health deteriorating, Ruth’s daughters— who also serve as her caregivers— began searching for some support.

They found Trinity Living Center in Salisbury, which offers adult day services for participants. The program includes daily activities and occasional outings along with exercise and engaging projects.

When Ruth began at TLC a decade ago, her mental and physical health were on a downward spiral. Severe depression had made common tasks such as meal preparation, housework, and bathing more than she could handle on her own. One of her daughters had moved in with Ruth to help care for her.

Ruth was also taking insulin shots to help keep her diabetes under control, a daunting task for anyone but especially so when combined with the crippling effects of severe depression.

To say that Ruth underwent a transformation after starting at TLC would be an understatement.

TLC gave Ruth a place to socialize and engage with others. She became happier. The depression lifted.

She has taken back her life and taken over her health, making smart decisions about the food she eats, participating in the daily exercises offered at TLC, and focusing her energy on activities that bring her peace.

Over the past several years, with the support of TLC, Ruth has worked diligently to lose weight, taking her BMI from “Obese Class II” to “Normal.” She no longer needs the insulin shots she used to depend on to keep her diabetes under control.

As Ruth renewed her spirit and well-being at TLC, a hidden talent emerged. It turns out that she is a fabulous artist. She began by painting lighthouses, and all of her pieces ended up in the homes of friends and family.

Art is therapeutic for Ruth, and her creations have been inspiring to others.

“I got encouragement from a lot of the staff about how good I was doing and the more they encouraged me, the more I wanted to do,” Ruth said. “It helps me relax. Sometimes I’ll make cards and send them to people who might need a lift up.”

Now that Ruth’s warm, happy spirit has returned, she is a terrific welcome ambassador to new participants, making them feel at home in the place that’s been so important to her.

“Ruth is definitely one of the people we would look to when a new person is coming in to make them feel welcome, to maybe even give somebody a little more information about what goes on because sometimes it’s easier coming from your peers than it is from somebody that works here,” says TLC Executive Director Christina Joyce. “Not everybody that’s here is able to communicate what goes on here throughout the day and tell the story, so Ruth is wonderful at that.”

When asked about her favorite part of the TLC program, Ruth said she can’t choose just one.

“It’s been a really good program for me, I enjoy all of it. It’s just an atmosphere I didn’t know existed,” she said. “I would recommend it to anybody. The staff is wonderful. The nurses are wonderful. Everybody is wonderful.”