Family honors legacy of care with gift in daughter’s memory

This piece is sponsored by LifeScape.

A woman’s compassion, advocacy and joyful spirit will live on at LifeScape through a generous donation.

On April 3, family, friends, staff and community members gathered at LifeScape’s Western Avenue campus for a special dedication ceremony. LifeScape’s Virtual Support Services Command Center was officially named in memory of Sarah Dykstra. The event included a sign unveiling, ribbon cutting and a tour of the Command Center, bringing together those who loved Dykstra and those who will be touched by her legacy for years to come.

For Dykstra’s parents, Joel and Vicki Dykstra, the day was a meaningful reflection of a life that began by changing theirs forever.

“Sarah was our first born, so she is who initially made us a family instead of a couple,” they shared. From the beginning, Dykstra brought joy into their home through her sense of humor, her positivity and her ability to find the good in any situation. She had a way of making moments more meaningful. “She made us better people by her way of finding the good in whatever might be going on in her life,” they said.

That perspective carried through every part of her life. Whether navigating physical challenges or embracing new experiences, Dykstra approached each day with resilience and heart. She was known for her smile, her outlook and her unwavering concern for others. “She always looked out for other people,” her parents said. “If she thought someone might be in a difficult situation or couldn’t advocate for themselves, she stepped in.”

That instinct of noticing, caring and taking action became a defining part of who she was. It also was reflected in her lifelong connection to LifeScape. “LifeScape was Sarah’s second family,” her parents shared.

Dykstra first came to LifeScape in the early 2000s, and it remained a central part of her life for more than two decades. She built lasting friendships with roommates and peers, embraced opportunities for independence and actively engaged in programs that allowed her to give back. Through Partners in Policy-Making, she found her voice as an advocate, gaining confidence and using her experiences to support others. “Her service to others gave her a sense of real value in her life and purpose in those everyday activities,” her parents said.

LifeScape also provided something Dykstra deeply valued: independence.

From her early days at Churchill House to nearly 20 years at the Sycamore Apartments, an early model of semi-independent living, and then later at Stephen House, Dykstra built a life rooted in connection, purpose and self-direction. That independence, paired with her natural instinct to care for others, is what made the Virtual Support Services Command Center such a fitting tribute.

After Dykstra’s passing, her family sought a way to honor her memory in a way that reflected who she was. They found that connection in a program designed to do exactly what Dykstra did so naturally: Look out for others.

“Sarah was always looking out for other people she lived or worked with,” her parents said. “We think the Virtual Support Services is something she would have appreciated, especially now that she isn’t there to sound the alert.”

The newly named Sarah Dykstra Virtual Support Services Command Center carries that purpose forward.

LifeScape’s Virtual Support Services combines technology with compassionate, human-centered care to create a safer, more responsive environment for individuals receiving services. Through tools like motion sensors, two-way communication and around-the-clock virtual support staff, the system enhances safety while still promoting independence and respecting privacy.

New enhancements made possible through the Dykstra family’s gift will further strengthen that impact, including medication verification buttons to ensure medications are administered and NFC-based check-in technology that alerts staff of upcoming required support checks.

For LifeScape Foundation president Jessica Wells, the connection between Dykstra’s character and this program is unmistakable. “Sarah was always looking out for the people around her,” Wells said. “She noticed when someone needed help and was a great advocate for independence. The Virtual Support Services center continues supporting that legacy of caring.”

The impact of the gift extends across LifeScape’s adult services, supporting both the individuals receiving care and the staff who serve them. “This gift will help increase safety in so many ways,” Wells said. “It validates medication distribution, ensures help is always available and gives staff and individuals immediate access to support whenever it’s needed.”

It also represents something larger: the role philanthropy plays in advancing care. “Sometimes, philanthropy helps meet basic needs,” Wells said. “Other times, like in this case, it allows us to bring new technology into services and reach more people in meaningful ways.”

For the Dykstra family, the naming is more than a tribute, it’s a continuation of their daughter’s impact. “We see VSS as an extension of what Sarah thought was important: the safety and security of the people LifeScape serves,” they said.

Their hope is that her name will continue to represent the same care and concern she showed throughout her life. “We hope it resonates a sense of care and concern for the safety and well-being of the people LifeScape serves. We think that would make her happy.”

In that way, Dykstra’s legacy becomes something that is not only remembered but lived out every day. Through every alert, every check-in and every moment of support, her presence continues, quietly, meaningfully and exactly in the way she would have wanted.

And for those who knew and loved her, that means everything.

Virtual Support Services is just one way LifeScape empowers people to live their best live. To learn more about the expansive programs, visit lifescapesd.org.