Wesley by the Bay, a UMC Community, sits inside the United Methodist Communities network and offers a wide range of support, from independent living apartments and assisted living to memory care, skilled nursing, long-term care, and in-home care through HomeWorks. Residents live in a setting where folks can age in place, so they can move between different care levels if their needs change. There are hospice and palliative services for those who need extra comfort. The staff runs daily programs during the week from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and people get help with meals, medication, daily activities, and supervision as needed, and there's memory support and Tapestries memory care for dementia. Kathryn Speer is one of the administrators who oversees things.
The community takes pride in helping veterans, with efforts like Have a Heart for Veterans for gifts, and the Warm Hearts for Veterans Clothing Drive, which collects winter coats, hats, gloves, thermal shirts, and socks for homeless veterans. There are donation drop-offs with people like Kathy Speer and Rebecca to talk to if someone wants to help, and the outreach doesn't stop there, since they also do fundraising with beef and beer nights, Super Bowl sub sales, and the Penny Party, and even organize a Grief Support Group and a Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support Group in the building.
Education matters here as well, so they host Lunch & Learn wellness talks, gardening workshops, chronic disease prevention classes, and programs about sleep health. People can join in arts and crafts festivals, fly fishing classes, or Zumba at the library, and there's Bible study groups and special events like Second Friday, The Harriet Tubman Experience, and Celtic Spring. Some highlight happenings like the Miss'd America Pageant at Caesars, symphony dance shows, and family day over at Star Wars Day at the Zoo bring everyone together. Other activities include boat-building for the Port Republic Duct Tape and Cardboard Boat Regatta, Boardwalk Aerobatic Show flights, fireworks on the ocean, and events at the airport festival.
Volunteering and community engagement happen year-round, with service events where people donate items to veterans, help at the Scullville Hayride, or walk the Ocean City ALS United Walk. The facility's online resources like webinars, blogs, and whitepapers cover health topics, content publishing, and infection plans, and they offer tools to create digital magazines, flipbooks, PDFs, and more by using services connected with Canva, HubSpot, Adobe, and other programs. There are also ways to share digital content using QR codes, videos, or GIFs and to sell digital publications commission-free.
Wesley by the Bay tries to cover the basics for anyone at any stage in life, with a simple housing structure, in a faith-based community, where they make space for cultural celebrations, support groups, wellness education, and rooms ready for those who just want a quiet, secure place to call home while staying involved with what matters to them.
