Friends and neighbors are reaching out to fellow community members who care deeply about long-time Saugatuck resident Betty Jo Goshorn.

Betty Jo faces over $20,000 in unexpected nursing home and cancelled real estate costs after being removed from, and now returning to, her home.

Being removed from her home and having most of her belongings discarded has shaken her to her core. In addition to her initial concerns, she is presently confronted with urgent and unforeseen financial obligations, including short-term senior living care, home maintenance, and essential household requirements. Managing these expenses has become increasingly difficult.

Betty Jo and her late husband, Stanley, who passed away in 2005, have been Saugatuck residents for 60+ years. Many of you know them from the neighborhood, dining at The Butler, hiking local trails and climbing Mt. Baldhead. While Betty Jo and Stanley could not have children of their own, they contributed significantly to the community by helping other families with childcare and home-keeping needs. Betty Jo also worked at Hansen Machine in Douglas for 20+ years and was a model employee. Like many women, she worked many hours each week helping others.

Women like Betty Jo are the backbone for helping working families and communities and wants to remain in her home in the neighborhood we all share.

As a community, we can come together to help keep Betty Jo strong through this crisis. We’re raising funds to make sure Betty Jo has the financial support she needs and that she is not left to shoulder this burden alone.

Every donation, no matter the size, is an act of love and solidarity. It’s a way of telling her she is not alone, that Saugatuck stands with her, and that neighbors take care of one another.

On behalf of Betty Jo, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Your support means more than words can ever say.