Hearthstone, a Ministry of WesleyLife, today celebrated groundbreaking for The Cottages, an innovative community of small households designed to redefine the meaning of home by emphasizing healthy living and supporting the independence of older adults in Pella.
Campaign Co-chair Kay De Cook and her husband, Mark, have led many fundraising campaigns and been asked to serve on many more. "We decided to take a leadership role in The Cottages campaign because this new community will be a great addition to the continuum of living options for older adults in the Pella area," she said. "It will be a home where many of us would have liked our parents to live-or even ourselves in the future."
Pella Manor Resident Association President Dena Bokhoven agreed, saying: "Hearthstone already focuses on building strong relationships among residents and team members. The development of The Cottages has created lots of excitement among Hearthstone residents, and we look forward to the opening of this new community where one day some of us might need to-or want--live."
WesleyLife President and CEO Rob Kretzinger welcomed guests and recognized individuals who have played key roles in development of The Cottages, including major donors and the eight co-chairs of the capital campaign: Mark and Kay De Cook, Bruce and Sandy Heerema, Stan and Gayle Poortinga and Bob and Lois Vermeer.
"We are extraordinarily grateful for the dedication of the leaders of the capital campaign and for the strong support The Cottages project has received from the community," Kretzinger said. "I especially would like to thank the donors of the top three gifts to date: The Vermeer Charitable Foundation, which contributed $1.5 million; The Pella Community Foundation, which donated $600,000; and the Marion County Community Foundation, which gave $400,000."
Kretzinger also recognized Pella Regional Health Center CEO, Bob Kroese, for ensuring older adults in Pella would have exceptional living options with a focus on mind, body and spirit by collaborating with WesleyLife. "We're excited to be building The Cottages here in Pella, a tightly knit community that shares our values and traditions," he said. "The Cottages will be one of the very first communities of its kind in Iowa and we expect it to become a model for other communities throughout the nation."
The Cottages will promote older adults enjoying both their independence and the benefits of being part of a close-knit community while staying near their loved ones in the Pella area. This new community will be home to more than 100 residents who share Pella's traditional values and appreciate the area's Dutch heritage.
Approximately 150 people attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the community, which will provide six cottages with a total of 80,506 square feet of living space to meet current and future demand in Pella and Marion County for assisted living, skilled nursing and rehabilitation, as well as programming for adults with memory loss. The ceremony took place at Hearthstone's Pella Manor due to inclement weather at the building site at 1742 Main St., Pella.
Hearthstone and WesleyLife, a nonprofit organization, are contributing $15 million to the $20 million project with financing secured through several Pella banks. In addition, Hearthstone is raising another $5 million for the project through a capital campaign that's received broad community support with contributions totaling $3.86 million. The groundbreaking ceremony is the official launch of the next phase of the capital campaign for The Cottages.
Hearthstone plans to add approximately 100 people to its workforce with the completion of The Cottages, according to Hearthstone Executive Director Nancy Hamilton.
