About St. John’s Community Care
Mission:
The mission of St. John’s Community Care is to make a positive difference in the lives of people challenged by aging or disabilities. We accomplish this by providing dependable and compassionate support through direct care, advocacy, education, and outreach to individuals living in the Metro-East community. We live the vision of Christ and His love for all people through our actions and words.
St. John’s Community Care is committed to providing equal opportunities and non-discrimination in all of its programs and activities. As a grantee, we comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Acts and receive financial assistance from AgeSmart Community Resources, the Illinois Department on Aging, and the United States Administration for Community Living.
We do not discriminate against any individual in admission to our programs or activities, or in our employment programs, and we comply with all relevant state and federal statutes. If you believe that you have experienced discrimination, we encourage you to file a complaint with AgeSmart Community Resources by calling 618-222-2561 or email info@stjohnscc.org.
At St. John’s Community Care, we are dedicated to providing quality care and support to all individuals in our community, regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, or disability status. We believe that everyone deserves equal access to the services and resources they need to live their best life.
History:
St. John’s Community Care is a ministry of St. John United Church of Christ in Collinsville, IL. Established in 1985 to provide non-medical care in the homes of older people, this outreach ministry has grown in size, scope, and expertise. SJCC is now acknowledged as a valuable resource for older adults in the St. Louis Metro-East area.
This outreach ministry grew from a few part-time employees in 1985 to over 50 employees in 2018. Originally housed in the church basement, the congregation came together to build the current office space, as well as the space for the Adult Day Program which opened in October 2001. Many members of the church family lent their time and expertise to do this work themselves and the building has been a tremendous asset to the organization.
Within a few years, the Adult Day Program approached capacity, so an all-season sunroom was added to accommodate additional participants. In 2008 and 2009, financial and volunteer resources developed a beautiful courtyard with wide paved walking paths, a fountain, and seating areas to offer a safe, stimulating, and pleasant outdoor option for participants.
After several years of planning, SJCC opened a second Adult Day Program site in 2013 in Edwardsville. St. John’s now has the only two Adult Day programs in Madison County.
After several years of setbacks, the original Home Services program was closed on October 1, 2019. Since its inception, St. John’s Community Care has expanded the programming offered and now includes several courses and support groups for Caregivers, as well as a medical equipment loan program. SJCC is once again almost at capacity and is continuing to determine the best way to expand the Adult Day services to best meet the needs of our community.
If you are a Caregiver and aren’t sure which program or resource would be most helpful to you, click here to access our online assessment. Once it has been completed, one of our Caregivers will be notified and will connect with you in the next couple of days to offer some resources and suggestions! Or feel free to call our office. We are always happy to help in any way that we can.
Board Members
Officers
President: Pam Waltermire, Maryville, retired biology teacher, Granite City School District
Vice President: Kevin Weinacht, Glen Carbon, owner, Weinacht & Associates
Treasurer: Debi Ralston, Collinsville, retired manager, IBM
Secretary: Melanie Whitworth, retired office manager, Petroff Trucking
Members
Tammy Craig, Collinsville, retired chief financial officer, Eden Theological Seminary
Melanie Davison, Collinsville, administrator, Hazelwood School District
Diane Disbrow, Collinsville, retired, Washington University School of Medicine
Marilyn Doty, Collinsville, retired, Collinsville Building & Loan
Beth Dittman, Granite City, banker, Royal Banks of Missouri – Granite City
Matt Langley, St. Louis, graphic designer, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Steven Renken, Collinsville, owner, Homestead Flooring
Laura Shipley, Granite City, owner, Shipley Chiropractic
Larry Wood, Glen Carbon, retired accountant, Granite City Steel
Olin Board Fellow
Michael Kudom-Agyemang
Ex-Officio
Christine Thurber, Executive Director
Kayla Abbott, Director, Adult Day Program
Our Funders
Adult Day Programs:
Memory Café:
Savvy Caregiver/Stress Busting/Powerful Tools for Caregivers:
General:
- United Way
- Marillac Mission Fund
- Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis
- Siteman Family Foundation
- Deaconess Foundation
- Collinsville - Maryville - Caseyville Rotary Club
Annual Reports
Our Team
St. John’s Community Care Staff
Christine Thurber, Executive Director
Kayla Abbott, Director, Adult Day Program
Beth Hammock, Director, Development, Marketing, and Communications
Ray Gallaher, Caregiver Specialist
Rebecca McNeil, Administrative Assistant, Human Resources
Erla Pieplow, Financial Manager
Bonnie Geisen, Administrative Assistant, Human Resources
Loequishia Howard, Administrative Assistant, Finance
Bart Bieser, Custodian
Collinsville Adult Day Program
Amy Poos, Site Manager
Michelle Meredith, Nurse
Jo Acosta, Program Assistant
Chris Johnson, Program Assistant/Kitchen
Donna Leezy, Program Assistant
Brian Ray, Program Assistant
Brittney Ross, Program Assistant
Angela Pedigo, Program Assistant
Edwardsville Adult Day Program
Randy Bitticks, Site Manager
Melissa (Lou) McClain, Nurse
Cindy Covey, Program Assistant
Deanna Gergen, Program Assistant
Kris Seubert, Program Assistant/Kitchen
Stacy Stewart, Edwardsville Program Assistant
