Building a foundation for the future can often be difficult, and in the case of helping to drive the capital campaign that is currently underway to revitalize and renew the Sutton Community Home has been a pleasant challenge, and yes, even at times, a frustrating challenge.
We’re now around eight weeks into the three-month campaign to give the nursing home in Sutton far more than just a fresh coat of paint, as this effort that has been undertaken is much bigger and a tad bit daunting to all of the board members of the Sutton Community Home Foundation, the board of directors at the home, and certainly the staff and administration of the home, in addition to so many volunteers that are stepping up daily to secure gifts, donations, and pledges to ensure that the renovation and addition projects happen.
Friday morning (July 19) the 60-year-old facility was celebrated for, well, turning 60 with a ceremonial “groundbreaking’ to the new future coming to the home.
I’ve been a part of the foundation, which was formed in 2014, since its inception, and let me tell you, there have been so many roadblocks and curve balls thrown at the attempts to put some new life into the aging facility.
As I told the 50-70 people attending the groundbreaking event last Friday, “We’re at the stage now where it has moved away from an “if” facility changes will happen, to “when” facility changes will happen, because the reality is pretty simple, it NEEDS to happen to ensure that Sutton’s care facility moves forward for another 60 years and far beyond.
As of this week’s writing of the Bull, a total of $1,021,590 has been raised in the form of donations, pledges, and gifts, enabling those working hard to make the new future of the home a reality, none of which would be possible without the generous giving from so many people to this point.
That figure changes almost daily, and the growth of the two thermometer boards located at the home, and in front of the Sutton Legion Club, is like “eye candy” to those of us working hard to infuse new life into the Sutton Community Home.
We have a long way to go in terms of fundraising, and even though the three-month capital campaign with the help of the consulting group, the Steier Group, comes to a close at the end of August, the effort to continue to raise funds doesn’t end when the Steier Group assistance ends their contractual obligations to the foundation and the home. In fact, fundraising efforts will never cease to ensure that the home continues onward far beyond the next 60 years.
I’ve maintained that even when construction begins on the facility, and after the renovation and addition is finished the home will continue to need the foundation’s helping hand to keep making efforts to take care of the residents of the Sutton Community Home, and the Hillcrest View Assisted Living center.
We have in place a staff at the home and assisted living that on a daily basis provides topnotch care to the residents. The daily “aura” if you will is so positive, so caring and so phenomenal that each time I walk into the home you’re greeted with a smile and positive conversation, and the trust that you know the residents are being cared for in amazing ways.
Friday’s ceremony was just the tip of the iceberg for the Sutton home. We have a lot of work left to do to push forward and bring the reality of an amazing facility to the forefront.
But, we can’t do it without the help of you, the community, the county, and those with ties to Sutton.
I’m darn proud of the efforts that are going on, and I’m so thankful for the many gifts and donations that the foundation has received to date.
I may be the president of the organization, but we’re all ONE team, who is joining forces with the staff and board of directors and the many many volunteers that have stepped up to make this all a true reality for tomorrow’s future and beyond.
