Residents of Durand Manor will soon benefit from more comfortable and accessible indoor and outdoor spaces, thanks to a generous $53,000 donation from St. Andrews United Church & Centre for Peace in Golden.
The donation was made through the East Kootenay Foundation for Health in support of its Starlite campaign for furniture upgrades at Durand Manor.
When the campaign began more than two years ago, the project was expected to cost approximately $100,000. By the time that amount had been raised, rising costs had pushed the estimated cost of completing the planned upgrades to nearly $150,000.
To keep the project within the available funding, furniture planned for one of the common rooms and the dining room had to be removed from the original scope. The $53,000 donation from St. Andrews United Church will now allow those items to be restored to the project and the planned upgrades to be completed.
The additional funding will also provide several items beyond the original plan, including outdoor furniture for residents to enjoy.
“This donation means we can complete the project as it was originally envisioned,” said Brenna Hong, executive director of the East Kootenay Foundation for Health. “After rising costs forced us to scale back some of the common-room and dining-room furnishings, this generous gift allows us to put those items back into the project and add outdoor furniture for residents. We are incredibly grateful to St. Andrews United Church & Centre for Peace for helping us create a more comfortable and welcoming home for the people who live at Durand Manor.”
The money donated by the church came from the estate of longtime Golden resident Alice Pallard, who left funds to St. Andrews United Church to be distributed at the church’s discretion.
Pallard was well known throughout Golden, particularly for her many years of service as a marriage commissioner. A familiar and popular figure in the community, she helped many local couples celebrate one of the most important occasions of their lives.
Church members felt that directing a substantial portion of Pallard’s bequest toward Durand Manor would be a fitting way to honour her community-minded spirit while creating a lasting benefit for Golden residents.
“Alice was a much-loved member of this community, and we wanted her generosity to continue making a meaningful difference in Golden,” said a representative of St. Andrews United Church & Centre for Peace. “Supporting Durand Manor allows her legacy to live on by improving the comfort and quality of life of the people who call it home.”
Much of the furniture at Durand Manor is more than 20 years old, and some resident rooms have lacked basic furnishings such as dressers and nightstands. The project will provide new bedroom furniture for residents, along with safe, accessible and senior-friendly furnishings for dining, common and outdoor areas.
The donation is part of an ongoing relationship between St. Andrews United Church and Durand Manor. The church continues to support the long-term care home and its residents as part of its broader commitment to caring for seniors and serving the Golden community.
