Providence News  October 2008

|   Rest Haven Christian Services Announces Transformation

TINLEY PARK, ILLINOIS (October 2008)  | "Naturally, change can be difficult for a ministry like ours, whose history is so rich and dear to people. And that's what makes this so exciting—it is exactly our strong history that has so well positioned us for a change," says Rich Schutt, CEO of the ministry that was until recently known as Rest Haven Christian Services. Rest Haven is changing its name to Providence Life Services, a name they feel is a more accurate reflection of how their ministry has expanded over the years.

"We started out, decades ago, as a 'rest home,' a convalescent home," explains Rich. "That type of service was very much needed in those days. But today, only 40% of our current licensed capacity is oriented to nursing care. The remainder serves Retirement Living, Assisted Living, and home health care clientele. Moreover, 79% of our nursing home clients come to us for rehabilitation, after which they return home. So we want our name to reflect the variety of services we offer, and the fact that these services are life-enhancing and restorative."

For the past 48 years, Rest Haven has held an annual gathering—the Torchlight Dinner—at which staff and constituents celebrate God’s blessings on the ministry. This year's gathering, at the Field Museum in Chicago, will also be a celebration of Rest Haven's transformation into Providence Life Services. "We've planned a special presentation that will show how a change like this is actually a fulfillment of our history, the next logical step in becoming all that God has called us to be,” says Rich. The ministry presentation is not intended to be an "unveiling" of the new name and logo, but rather the culmination of a series of communications to various publics and constituents that began in August. "By November 7, the date of our event," says Rich, "most people will have already heard that we are now Providence Life Services. But this gathering gives us an opportunity to (1) reveal how we arrived at the new name, (2) explain the significance of our new logo, and (3) reassure people that we are holding firm to our heritage."

Providence Life Services is headquartered at 18601 North Creek Drive, Tinley Park, Illinois. For more information, call 708-342-8100.