For 113 years, our story has been one of compassion, community, and commitment to serving others. What began as a vision to provide a safe, caring home for older adults has grown into a thriving family of communities across Ohio and Indiana, each grounded in the same purpose that inspired our founders.
As we celebrate this milestone, we’re reminded that our longevity isn’t just measured in years. It’s reflected in the lives we’ve touched and the people who continue to make our mission possible. This Otterbein Giving Tuesday, we invite you to be part of that legacy by helping us continue a tradition of care that has endured for more than a century. On October 14, 2025, we’ll celebrate Giving Tuesday in honor of our 113th year, a milestone made possible by the generosity and support of our community.
1912: The Beginning – Built on Faith and Community
Otterbein’s story began in Lebanon, Ohio, when the United Brethren Church (now part of the United Methodist Church) purchased 4,005 acres of land from the Shakers to establish a home for children, the elderly, missionaries, and their families.
One of the earliest and most iconic buildings on campus, Marble Hall, was constructed in the Victorian style with Italian marble — a symbol of permanence and grace. It still stands today as a tangible reminder of Otterbein’s origins and enduring values.
Watch this video to learn more about Marble Hall and Otterbein’s beginnings >>
1960s: A Shift toward Senior Care
As community needs evolved, so did Otterbein. In the 1960s, Otterbein phased out its orphanage program to focus exclusively on serving older adults. This marked a major turning point — not just in mission, but in vision.
With this shift came a commitment to reimagining senior living. Otterbein became one of the early adopters of the Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) model, which offers a continuum of care all in one place, supporting residents as their needs change over time.
1970s–2000s: Growth, Innovation, and Holistic Services
Over the following decades, Otterbein expanded both in size and in services:
- Long-term care
- Independent and assisted living
- Home health and hospice care
- Post-acute & rehabilitation care
- Faith-based life enrichment programs
One of the most significant innovations came in 2007, when Otterbein introduced the SeniorLife Neighborhood model — a revolutionary concept in senior care. Also known as the small house model, this approach created a more real-home, person-centered environment for elders requiring long-term care, memory support, or rehab, emphasizing autonomy, relationships, and dignity.
Explore resident life in Otterbein SeniorLife Neighborhoods >>
2012: 100 Years of Service
In 2012, Otterbein proudly celebrated a century of service. The milestone honored decades of faith-driven leadership, compassionate caregiving, and continued innovation in senior living. It also served as a reminder that the mission — to enhance the quality of life and preserve the dignity of every person served — is just as vital today as it was in 1912.
2018: A New Look, the Same Mission
To better reflect its growth and modern vision, Otterbein introduced refreshed branding and a new website in 2018. While the look evolved, the heart remained the same: providing holistic, person-first care grounded in respect, faith, and community.
Otterbein Today: Continuing the Legacy
Today, Otterbein SeniorLife serves more than 8,500 older adults across Ohio and in Indiana through:
- Vibrant life plan communities
- Innovative long-term care and rehabilitation neighborhoods
- Compassionate home health and hospice services
- A strong foundation of faith-based values
Throughout 2023 and 2024, Otterbein SeniorLife initiated a process involving hundreds of constituents to study, research, listen, and act on the need and desire to craft new mission, vision, and values statements for Otterbein.
We began with our mission, “Inspired by faith, we strive to enrich individual life journeys for all,” and then subsequently turned our attention to our values. The result was ENRICH, an acronym for Excellence, iNtegrity, Respect, Innovation, Compassion, and High-Quality. And lastly, we redefined our vision as “The Best Place to live, to work, for care, and for a fulfilling future.”
We believe our sacred mission and shared values statement will serve us well as our guiding light today and into the future, instilling unity as One Otterbein. This commitment ensures Otterbein residents/elders/patients, donors, partners, and volunteer board leaders will indeed continue to enrich individual life journeys for all.
Looking Ahead
Otterbein continues to grow and expand, serving additional residents with the addition of three new communities in 2024. As Otterbein steps into its next chapter, the focus remains on enriching lives, empowering independence, and upholding dignity in every aspect of senior care.
Otterbein’s nonprofit, philanthropy-fueled mission and shared values create a powerful sense of unity and commitment among us as One Otterbein. This sense of unity and commitment ensures that residents can continue to live at Otterbein if they have exhausted their funds. It enables us to reinvest and expand offerings, grow programs, invest in our partners, launch innovative initiatives, and enrich individual life journeys for all.
Every gift makes a difference. Your support helps ensure residents can continue to live with dignity and peace of mind, even if their financial resources change. It fuels new programs, empowers our partners, and strengthens the community we’ve built together over the last 113 years.
This Giving Tuesday, we invite you to join our story and help us write the next chapter of compassion and care.
