A generous gift to the Ebenezer Foundation will honor the care and kindness that made a lasting impact on one family at Ridges and Arbor Lane. Dave Kiefat is including the Arbor Lane Employee Appreciation Fund in his estate plans, a gift inspired by the employees who cared for his late wife, Deb, throughout her journey with Ebenezer. Dave is also supporting a new employee break room at Arbor Lane, which he plans to help furnish as part of the community's ongoing renovations.
For Dave, both gifts are a meaningful way to recognize the people who supported Deb and became an important part of their lives.
“From Julie to all the RAs, they’re the ones that really, to me, are the heart and soul,” Dave said.
Dave and Deb first connected with Ebenezer after Deb began experiencing changes in her health. Her doctor recommended an adult day program so Dave could continue working while knowing Deb had the support she needed during the day.
Options were limited following the pandemic, but Dave found the Ridges Adult Day Care Program. Deb began attending three days a week, and the experience quickly left an impression.
“I was very impressed with that whole operation,” Dave said. “The people.”
Deb remained with the program for approximately two years. As her needs progressed, Dave retired and cared for her at home. When it became clear in 2024 that she needed additional support, Dave began exploring memory care communities.
There were many options, but his experience with Ebenezer brought him back.
“I was just so impressed with the way you guys did things that you were my first choice,” Dave said.
Deb moved to Arbor Lane in September 2024, where she lived for approximately 15 months before passing away in December.
During that time, Dave became a regular presence at Arbor Lane, visiting Deb nearly every evening from about 7 to 9 p.m. Those visits also gave him an opportunity to get to know the employees caring for her and to witness the everyday moments of compassion that shaped their experience.
“There’s so many little things,” Dave said. “People were kind to me.”
For Dave, there isn't one employee or one moment that defines Deb's care. It was the consistency of the team and the relationships they built with both Deb and Dave.
“There was never a cross word between any of us, between me and the RAs,” he said. “I let them do their job.”
Even after Deb's passing, those relationships have continued. Dave still stops by Arbor Lane from time to time to visit employees and say hello.
“I still do go over there on occasion, once a month or so, and say hello to some of the folks,” he said.
The relationships formed at Arbor Lane are one chapter in a much larger story Dave and Deb shared over 37 years of marriage.
The two met through a mutual friend when they were around 30 and married about nine months later.
“We just hit it off right away,” Dave said.
Together, they built a life that included Boundary Waters canoe trips and a love of whippets. After purchasing their first home, Deb decided she wanted a dog and began researching breeds. They eventually chose their first whippet, and one dog led to another. Today, Dave has their fifth and sixth whippets.
Deb also spent about 20 years as a self-employed personnel recruiter in the hospitality industry and was active in several 12-step programs. At Deb's funeral, Dave learned even more about the impact she had on others.
“Several of those people got up and spoke at the funeral and made me realize just how important she was to them also,” he said.
Now, Dave is finding his own way to make a lasting impact.
Following a recent terminal diagnosis, Dave began making plans for the future and reflecting on the people and organizations that had been meaningful in his and Deb's lives. Including the Arbor Lane Employee Appreciation Fund in his estate plans became one way to express his gratitude and bring a sense of closure to this chapter of his life.
He also wanted to do something for Arbor Lane employees in the present.
While talking with Julie Kohlbeck about renovations at the community, Dave began thinking about what he could do specifically for the resident assistants. His first idea was to help improve their break room.
There was just one problem. They didn't have one.
“I wanted to do something for them,” Dave said. “I thought, well, I could redecorate their break room or something, and they didn’t have one.”
As part of the renovations, employees will now have a dedicated break room, and Dave plans to help furnish the new space.
“They are going to get one now,” he said. “So I’m going to furnish that for them.”
Dave's gifts are rooted in gratitude for a team that showed up for him and Deb when they needed it most.
During Deb's 15 months at Arbor Lane, Dave saw firsthand the compassion, consistency and care employees brought to their work each day. He trusted them with the person who meant the most to him, and the team gave him reassurance that Deb was surrounded by people who cared.
Those relationships lasted beyond Deb's time at Arbor Lane. The fact that Dave continues to return to visit employees speaks to the connection the team built with him and Deb during an incredibly difficult chapter in their lives.
Now, through his generous support of the Ebenezer Foundation, Dave is giving back to the team that gave so much to his family. His estate gift to the Arbor Lane Employee Appreciation Fund and his support of the new employee break room are lasting expressions of just how much their work meant to him.
To the Arbor Lane team, thank you for showing up for Dave and Deb with compassion, dignity and kindness. Your work made a difference when they needed it most. The care you provide every day extends beyond residents to spouses, families and loved ones, and the impact of that care can last long after someone's time in our community.
And to Dave, we are deeply grateful for your generosity, for trusting our teams with Deb's care and for choosing to honor her by giving back to the people who cared for her. Your gift is a meaningful reminder of the lasting impact our employees have on the residents and families they serve.