Bethesda Foundation Announces $4 Million For Rest Haven

The Bethesda Foundation has announced the largest pledge in its 37-year history. Board President Garth Reimer says they are committing $4 million towards the expansion at Rest Haven Nursing Home in Steinbach.

Last September, Rest Haven was given the green light by the province to expand. It is a 60-bed facility and the plan is to add 80 beds, though once complete there will be 140 brand new PCH rooms.

Reimer says more PCH beds are needed locally and that is why the foundation is making this very significant commitment. He says with the exception of Bethesda Place, Steinbach has not seen an increase in PCH beds since 1972, when a PCH was built at the corner of Reimer Avenue and Hospital Street.

David Driedger is Chief Executive Officer for HavenGroup. He says they are very pleased that a partner such as Bethesda Foundation has stepped up to help finance this project.

"The Bethesda Foundation is a key resource to the community," notes Driedger. "The beautiful thing is that they always return the money to the community."

Driedger refers to this as a significant investment from the community to the community.

The province is providing $133,333 per bed. Driedger says in the next few weeks they will complete schematic design. This will be followed by a class C estimate in order to get preliminary cost estimates for the project. Driedger says it is not until that time, possibly the end of April, that they will know how much additional financing will be needed, on top of the $4 million committed by Bethesda Foundation. He anticipates additional sources of income will be required through debt servicing or other sponsorship.

According to Reimer, the foundation still has to raise some money before it is able to write the cheque. The foundation has done some private fundraising but has not started any sort of public fundraising campaign just yet.

"We're making a good organization even stronger," says Reimer. "To pick a good partner like Rest Haven is a dream come true."

"For so many years we've been hearing stories of the elders and founders of our community being sent to a new and unfamiliar community when they need care in the last years of their life," says Linda Peters, Executive Director of Bethesda Foundation. "The time has come to change that story."

Reimer says it is through the generosity of donors in the community that several projects have been completed including the CancerCare Centre, Crisis Stabilization Unit, Bethesda Primary Care Centre, Stone Bridge Wellness Centre, the birthing centre and expansion of the Bethesda ER.