Help Pastor Sam & Betty Baer with ADA Home Modifications

Most may know by now that Pastor Sam Baer suffered a stroke back on December 14th. He spent 74 consecutive days in medical care. He has since come home and has improved dramatically from where he was thanks to the persistent care of his family (especially Sophia, Chris & Bambie) and wonderful doctors, nurses and therapists.

However, Sam is unable to care for himself and is still using a wheelchair. His left arm & leg have minimal movement, his speech is still slow, and he still needs around the clock care. Thankfully he remembers most people’s names he interacts with. He is doing several in-home therapies a week, which include PT, OT and Speech along with many Dr visits & pool therapy at the “Y”.

Betty also needs daily & night time assistance as well. She was diagnosed with vascular dementia a few years ago & gets confused a lot. Betty sometimes gives Sam things to eat or drink that he’s not supposed to have because she doesn’t remember what’s not allowed. Sophia & her husband Chris have decided to move from Michigan out to Oklahoma to be their full time care givers. 

This is a HUGE act of selfless love to our parents and a daunting task to say the least. We need help with several things to help them properly care for Sam & Betty and make their lives easier.

1. Most of their interior doors are too narrow for a wheelchair to pass through. We need to widen approx 4 more doorways. 

2. Their current 1/2 bath in their bedroom is very small and it needs to be enlarged and remodeled to accommodate a new handicap shower, toilet & sink including more open floor space for wheelchair as well.

Mike, Caleb, Sam & Chris are coordinating this project and helping with planning, finances & labor to complete this. 

3. Oklahoma gets approx 60 Tornados a year and often referred to as Tornado Alley.

Their small ranch home has no safe place to go for shelter (no basement either) They used to drive 12 mins to Bambie’s house because she has an underground shelter with stairs. But since Sam is in a wheelchair we need a storm shelter purchased, delivered & installed at their home that is ADA accessible. It needs to be large enough that all 4 of them can fit, including space for a wheelchair to maneuver.

We have determined that these projects & items will cost around $42,000

The siblings & spouses have banded together to either provide funds or labor for these items (and using the rest of Sam & Betty’s small retirement savings) to reduce this down by $18,000. So what we need to cover the rest is $25,000

We know they blessed a lot of people in their lives and their earthly treasures don’t add up to much. Pastor Sam & Betty Baer served in many different ways in their time in Roanoke Virginia as a youth pastor, in St. Petersburg, FL as Youth Pastor & Associate Pastor of bus ministry and 40+ years in Dryhill, Kentucky as Pastor of Victory Mountain Grace Brethren Chapel. They both have spent their whole lives serving the Lord & others, giving of themselves to make disciples, loving others and furthering His Kingdom. If any of the hundreds they have served or served alongside are able to help us get these items completed & covered for them, we would be so grateful. We had hundreds of people praying for Pastor Sam during his stroke & recovery. We are so very grateful for that and for the ones who already offered to help them as well. If you feel led to donate, please do so with the GoFundme page or link (has a small donation fee) If you’d rather write a check please reach out to Mike Baer for his Florida address by direct messaging him. If you write a check please MAKE CHECK TO MIKE BAER as he is coordinating the projects for them.

Thank you all for your love & support!! Papa & Mama Baer are thankful for each & every one of you!