St. Mary Development Corp.

July 18, 2023

Housing non-profit, St. Mary Development, publishes book sharing the lives of residents living in its affordable apartment communities for older people.

DAYTON, Ohio — Anna Luepke’s book, Hope!, shares the stories of seven older people who live in St. Mary Development’s affordable apartment communities. Their lives of resilience, perseverance, and faith are shining examples of the tremendous impact of affordable housing combined with service coordination. The free e-book edition can be downloaded on St. Mary’s website at stmarydevelopment.org/book.

“Each of our residents has a story,” says Tim Bete, St. Mary’s president. “Some are touching; some are shocking; and each is an example of tenacity, inspiration, and hope.”

In Hope!, you’ll meet Ruth Maxwell and her dedication to others, and Clifford Stumpf who wouldn’t accept failure. You’ll learn about Doris Carson’s caring spirit, and Donna Morrow who turned to God in her troubles. While each story is different, the residents share one thing in common: they live in a St. Mary apartment community, and that—combined with service coordination—has brought significant stability to their lives. They have good homes that are safe and affordable. They have services to help them live independently as long as possible. They have a built-in community with their neighbors. They have dignity.

Anna Luepke, a recent University of Dayton graduate in political science and economics, wrote the book as part of UD’s Ethics and Leadership Internship Program. Anna spent the summer of 2022 interviewing St. Mary residents and creating the manuscript for the book. Prior to the internship, Anna worked on the Moral Courage Project, a human rights storytelling project that focused on access to affordable housing in Oakland, California.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better person to write this book, “says Bete. “Anna brought a rare combination of skills to the book project and captured our residents’ lives in a beautiful way.”

Francine Buchanon, one of the residents interviewed, beautifully summed up the purpose of the book: “Nobody knows what somebody is going through unless they tell you.” Residents were generous in opening up about their triumphs and struggles. The book makes you realize how rare it is to take the time to truly listen to someone else’s story, not in an attempt to solve their problems, but simply to understand who they are and to see their great inherent dignity. Anna now asks herself when she meets someone new, “What stories do they hold? What more do I have to learn?”

Print copies of Hope! can be purchased on the St. Mary website and the eBook edition is free. Other free resources available on the website include a study guide for book clubs, groups or individual reflection; a video of the book launch event with remarks by author Anna Luepke; and four podcast episodes with residents featured in the book.

St. Mary has developed more than 65 affordable apartment communities with 4,300+ apartment units and more than half a billion dollars in development cost. Their staff works with more than a thousand older people in their Dayton-area apartments to connect them to the services and programs they need to continue to live independently as long as possible. St. Mary is a proud member of NeighborWorks America, a national network of 250 non-profit housing organizations.

For more information about Hope!, visit: https://www.stmarydevelopment.org/book

This interview with Arnesta Russell, one of the residents featured in Hope!, is a companion to the book.

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Contact:
Tim Bete
St. Mary Development Corp.
937-723-9586
tbete@smdcd.org

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RNA.