The truest mark of a community’s spirit is the generosity it shows to its elderly. If a community extends to its elder citizens everything needed to sustain their dignity, safety and quality of life, then that community is truly worthy of respect.

Since 1903, St. Joseph’s Home in Springfield and its founders, the Sisters of St. Francis of the Immaculate Conception, have provided elder care in an environment that enhances lives and promotes the highest quality of life.

St. Joseph’s Home is now embarking on an ambitious capital campaign to enrich the Springfield community with a residence dedicated to the care of men and women with various forms of dementia.

 

 

People who suffer from dementia are among those who require the most care and compassion from the community. Without question, the impact of Alzheimer’s Disease and related conditions is greater than ever before. It is changing forever the lives of families, and intensifying the burden on family caregivers. People with these conditions gradually lose everything — except the fundamental dignity owed to every human person created in God’s image.

The Forget-Me-Not Campaign’s goal is to raise $4.75 million to build a residence dedicated to the care of persons with dementia. St. Joseph’s Home and the sisters are turning to you to help make this campaign a success.

St. Joseph’s Home at 3306 S. Sixth Street Road in Springfield is currently home to about 100 residents. For more than a century it has been entirely self-sustaining, receiving no government assistance. The home is supported by residents’ fees, fundraising and the efforts of its dedicated volunteers.

Persons with Alzheimer’s and similar conditions currently live in a wing formerly used as an infirmary, often called the round building. It was built in 1967 to care for residents with short-term illnesses. Over time, this wing has evolved into a long-term residence for people with dementia. The building’s design is inadequate for their needs. Furthermore, it is deteriorating. It can no longer be maintained or renovated economically.

The need for a replacement for the round building— one designed for dignified living as well as specialized nursing care — is the reason St. Joseph’s Home is turning to the community for help.

The funds raised through the Forget-Me-Not Campaign will allow construction of a single-story residence for 28 men and women with various forms of dementia. They will live in a safe, secure, comforting environment tailored to their needs and the needs of their families.

The new wing’s design incorporates two households attached to the east side of the home’s current building, sharing common spaces and a common entrance. Skylights will bring in sunshine, enabling the residents to orient themselves to the cycle of each day.

The structure will provide a warm, loving atmosphere, one that resonates the mission and philosophy of care of St. Joseph’s Home and the Sisters of St. Francis of the Immaculate Conception.

We will all grow old, but through your generosity, our elderly will have a place to age in an environment of respect, safety, dignity and faith provided by St. Joseph’s Home.

Please be generous. With your help, we can ensure that generations of seniors and families have access to this unique environment provided by St. Joseph’s Home.

Download a Pledge Form

If you can join St. Joseph's Home's families and friends and the Springfield community in supporting the Forget-Me-Not campaign to build a new Dementia Center, please contact:

Terri Hempstead
Development Director
(217) 529-5596
terrihempstead@saintjosephshome.org