Greencroft Communities Stories

When Thelma Schrock was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in the late 1980s, her husband, Harold, began a campaign of generosity to ensure everyone had access to dementia care. Three decades and three generations later, the fundraising he inspired continues with more than $3 million donated in Thelma’s name. 

The campaign started small with a golf fundraiser in 1991—the very first Thelma A. Schrock Golf Benefit. Harold’s children and grandchildren got involved, recruiting friends, family, and business associates to support the cause. Funds raised in those early years supported the Goshen Area Adult Day Care Center at Goshen City Church of the Brethren. 

After Thelma died in January of 1995, Harold endowed a fund at Greencroft Goshen to create the Thelma A. Schrock Homestead Adult Day Center, which merged with the church program.

Harold shared his vision for the facility with Gene Yoder, a fellow Goshen Rotarian who was the Greencroft CEO at the time. Harold wanted the Homestead to feel like a home, with a large kitchen, dining area, living room, and library.

“The purpose was to provide an opportunity for families to bring a loved one for several hours or for the entire day,” remembered Gene. 

The Thelma A. Schrock Homestead opened in early 1995, as part of an expansion plan for Greencroft Goshen Healthcare.
“An adult day care was a new concept for the Goshen community,” Gene said. “At first, most participants came from the independent living apartments at Greencroft. But soon, people started coming from the greater community.”

Chris Graff, a grandson of Thelma and Harold, served on the boards for both the church-based program and the Greencroft Goshen Foundation. He was instrumental in bringing the two together. 

“It was really a great transition to see Greencroft take this over, and serve a lot more people in a lot better way than we were able to in the basement of the church,” he recalled.

Golfing for a cause

By then, the golf benefit had become an annual event, raising enough money to subsidize the day program. Homestead participants paid a daily fee based on a sliding scale and their ability to pay. The Greencroft Goshen Foundation provided financial aid for anyone who could not afford the fees. 

Chris chaired the golf planning committee for about a dozen years before moving out of state and turning the leadership over to his cousin, Peter Barrett. 

Under the direction of Peter and Chris and a dedicated committee of friends and business associates, the golf event grew from a social outing into a highly successful fundraiser. 

“I remember when we hit a million dollars cumulatively,” said Chris. That was in 2008. “We really pushed the envelope on the amount of money we were asking for. We were probably pretty brash and aggressive asking people for a lot more money than they were used to donating.” 

The appeal worked because the family led by example, supporting the golf event as the presenting sponsors each year. Harold and Thelma’s son, H. Douglas Schrock, and their three daughters, Susan Graff, Sara Barrett, and Cinda McKinney, all contributed generously. So did the family business, Smoker Craft. A nephew, Rick Hetler, joined the committee and brought his own company, Indiana Wood Products, in as a sponsor.

Harold died in 2012, but the movement he started in his late wife’s name continues. 

To date, the Thelma A. Schrock Homestead Golf Benefit has raised a cumulative total of $3.8 million. Peter hopes to top $4 million with this year’s 35th annual event on September 8.
Sadly, Harold and Thelma’s three daughters developed Alzheimer’s in their senior years. Cinda died in 2023. Susan and Sara, mothers to Chris and Peter, require daily care. 

“The impact hits home for people,” Peter said. “Almost every family has somebody dealing with dementia, and the toll is not only on the loved one struggling, but also the caregiver. That’s why the Homestead is so vital. It provides care for the whole family by giving the caregiver a much-needed break, a respite.”

From one Homestead to another

In June, Greencroft Goshen completed a major renovation project, moving the Homestead into a new wing of the Healthcare building. The modern design stays true to Harold’s vision of a homelike setting, with an airy kitchen, a dining room open to a spacious outdoor patio, a living room with a fireplace, and a library furnished with recliners for quiet afternoons. 

A covered portico at the entrance to the Homestead gives caregivers a more convenient and accessible location for drop-offs and pick-ups. 

Money from the golf event paid for the upgrades. Peter and the golf committee got a first look at the new space in May. 

One decorative touch stood out. Workers had hung a 4-ft cast-iron filigree letter “S” on the living room wall. Peter smiled when he saw it. The “S” had hung on the exterior of Thelma and Harold’s home in Goshen. 

Hugh Davis, the new CEO for Greencroft Communities, had purchased the house, not realizing its history. Hugh and his wife, Suzette, were renovating and didn’t know what to do with the “S.” After meeting Peter at the 2024 golf event and learning his connection to their house, they knew exactly where the “S” needed to go. 

They moved it from one homestead to another.