A Springfield nursing home that closed in 2021 is still caring for elderly Sangamon County residents, but in a different way.
The St. Joseph's Home in Springfield operated for 118 years under the sponsorship of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Immaculate Conception, but when it closed the Catholic order decided to have the money associated with the facility remain in the community.
They donated $5.6 million to create the St. Joseph's Home Legacy of Care Fund, which is administered by the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln. This month, the foundation announced $190,000 in inaugural grants, ranging from senior nutrition programs to art therapy for those with dementia.
"The sisters that owned and operated that facility wanted to figure out what to do with the resources that were left over after the sale of the building and just shutting down the nonprofit," John Stremsterfer, president and CEO of the CFLL, told Illinois Times. "They had an endowment that basically served people who couldn't afford their care at the home. And it was something they built up over the years from generous people who wanted to support people who couldn't afford it. And so, they wanted to make sure that legacy was continued in a way that served the original purpose of caring for the elderly."
Each year, investment income earned off the original donation will be given to various area charities.
"Our hope is that this Legacy of Care Fund will allow us to continue a ministry we all loved – just in a different way," Sister Holly Marie Schultz said in a prepared statement. "(Establishing the fund) was a way to continue to help seniors in need, and it was truly an answer to our prayer."
The St. Martin de Porres Center in Springfield will receive $50,000 to purchase food and hygiene items for older people in need.
"We are an organization run entirely by volunteers, so what that means is the money people give goes to buy food," said Leslie Sgro, president of the board of directors. "In a time where groceries are so expensive and so many people are hurting financially, it's critical that people can have an outlet – and there are several in Springfield. But at St. Martin's, you can come as often as you want and just get what you need."
Hunger among Springfield's older residents is something Doug McFarlan has become all too familiar with. The executive director of Grace Lutheran Church's food pantry noted that his organization received $15,000 from the foundation.
"One thing that we do for our senior citizens over age 55 is provide them with an extra item that is protein rich – canned meats, eggs," he said. "We took that on a couple years ago saying we want to really get focused on healthier items and items targeted at specific nutritional benefits."
But the grants go beyond bread and butter to helping open minds plagued by dementia.
The Springfield Art Association received a $20,000 grant to work with those suffering from Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.
"The Opening Minds with Art program is an established program that has been designed specifically for dementia and Alzheimer's patients," said Betsy Dollar, executive director of the SAA. She explained that the program was initially launched several years ago but had to be put on hold during the pandemic, "so this is our way to bring it back."
Dollar said, "We had a very specific request from the Dominican sisters because they have a number of older nuns who are falling into dementia, and they were very interested in this program. It's a wonderful program that pairs a participant with dementia with a community volunteer."
The same volunteer works with the same individual each week, but the projects vary each time. "There's a lot of self-expression in all of this," she said. "Most of the time it's some kind of paint and paper, a lot of collage kinds of things."
The Illinois Presbyterian Home Communities received a $50,000 grant to provide cost-of-living adjustments to support seniors in assisted living who have limited financial resources so that they can stay in their homes.
"We will use this gift of $50,000, along with some other contributions we have received, to help us seed a fund. And then our 70th anniversary at Illinois Presbyterian home is this year. So, we'll be launching a campaign to continue to build the fund," a representative of the communities said. She added investment income earned on the principal will be used each year to help residents in need.
Other organizations receiving grants include Contact Ministries, who will receive $30,000 for rent and utility assistance to help seniors who are homeless or facing homelessness and Hearts United Association, who will receive $25,000 for utility assistance and emergency heating and cooling equipment such as fans, window air conditioners and portable heaters.
