Written by Charlotte Rathke, LGV Administrator
As we celebrate our service to the community and the many people we have been blessed to serve the past 40 years, we launch a fundraising campaign, Celebrate 40 … Commitment to the Future, to upgrade our original nursing home building. The facility has functioned so well for so long, and now it is time to remodel and renovate, for us to do all that we can to improve this space that is so vital to our operation and what we provide for the community and those who make Locust Grove Village their home.
We are beginning our fundraising efforts for an initial project phase that will include:
- Redesigning the dining room. The large room will be converted into smaller, inviting serving areas and conversation spaces. New flooring, lighting, furnishings, entry doors and window treatments will transform the area into an attractive and inviting space for all who live here.
- Converting the nursing station into usable and comfortable living space. A different work space for staff will be created.
- A new kitchenette and area for easy access to snacks and beverages.
- Better access to the outdoor courtyard for enjoyment and exercise.
Our plans are in place and approved by the Kansas Department of Aging and Fire Marshall’s office. The contractor, Commercial Builders in Hays is ready to begin. To be in position to execute our plans, we are seeking $175,000 in donations. We have been richly blessed by donors from Rush County and beyond
who believe in our mission of caring for elders. As a not-for-profit community organization, the founding history of Locust Grove Village is based on the generosity of persons believing and contributing to our mission.
One special person whose family has been an integral part of LGV from our founding to the present is Eleanor Wells. Eleanor and her late husband, Lon, were among the sixteen original supporters in Rush County that courageously donated $1,200 in seed money to start the Rush County Nursing Home Society. Eleanor recounts her many connections to LGV in a story captured by Maggie Reinhardt (see page 2 of attached newsletter).
Eleanor Wells will serve as the honorary chairwoman for the Celebrate 40…Commitment to the Future campaign.
“I didn’t have to think long before knowing Eleanor was the lady to ask to serve in this capacity. What a rich and generous history of service to Locust Grove Village by the Wells family,” commented Charlotte Rathke. “I will always remember when Lon and Eleanor sat in my office one time and he said, ‘of all the many things I have been involved in over the years, this is the one I am most proud of.’ Rathke recounts. “I am so blessed to be carrying on the vision of Lon and Eleanor along with so many others. It is humbling. It is my pleasure to work beside her, our Board of Directors and others through this campaign.“ Rathke said.
