Ave Maria Village is raising funds to complete its kitchen renovation project, said Annie Hancock, development director.
“Our kitchen has never been renovated in the entire history of our facility (57 years) so it’s a long time coming,” she said.
Ave Maria Village is a 100-bed facility that specializes in long-term skilled nursing care and rehabilitation. The Heritage Centre, an assisted living facility next door, has about 65 tenants, Hancock said.
The kitchen project, which started in 2018, has been in three stages, Hancock said. Two are completed. The first was to add a walk-in cooler and a walk-in freezer on the outside of the building which freed up space in the kitchen, she said. The second stage was completing the renovation of a dry goods storage area which provides more efficient storage.
The last and most costly portion of the project, which will total more than $500,000 for all three stages when completed, is the renovation of the primary kitchen area. That will include updating most of the equipment and walls to current standards and new flooring, Hancock said.
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“We need about $269,000 to finish the kitchen,” she said. “We’re very grateful for all the support we’ve received up to this point.”
Having an updated kitchen is important to the facility, she said. Ave Maria Village serves more than 400 meals each day which includes the Heritage Centre.
“We do everything we can to provide the highest quality care for our residents and I feel that the dietary aspect of it is a very important one so that’s why we’re so focused and engaged in trying to get this project completed,” Hancock said.
The new kitchen will be more efficient and a better work environment for employees, she added.
Hancock hopes the project will be completed by the end of the year. Anyone interested in donating to the kitchen renovation project may contact Hancock at 952-5677.
“We’re always accepting donations,” she said. “A lot of people will give memorial or honor gifts in memory of loved ones or in honor of loved ones. Our volunteers are constantly working to raise money through events and other fundraising opportunities.”
This story is advertorial content that appeared in the 2020 Progress Edition of The Jamestown Sun.
