Passing the Hat

An artist rendering of the renovation and expansion project Scandia Village hopes to undertake with their three-phase, $8 million capital campaign.

When Scandia Village opened its doors in 1981, it was able to do so only because the Door County community championed the idea. The first funds for the assisted living facility were raised in the middle of a cherry orchard, where founders met to pass a hat around and give whatever change they had in their pockets.

Now, those that live and work at the facility are passing the hat around once again.

The village, which is located in Sister Bay and currently home to 175 residents, is undertaking an $8 million capital campaign in order to fund a series of renovations that Administrator Michele Notz says are essential to bringing the facility into the modern age of medical care.

“Our care center’s been here for over 30 years now, and it was built to the specifications that were required for skilled nursing services then,” she says. “But the types of services rendered here have changed and evolved as health care has evolved.”

Nicki Scharrig, director of marketing and resource development at Scandia, says that the renovations will address a number of issues that have developed at the facility over the course of time, many of which have been brought forward by residents and their family members.

“We’ve listened to them over the years, and we’ve been very careful to develop a plan that we think will probably last us for the next 30 years,” she says.

That plan, according to Scharrig, is divided into three phases. The first involves the construction of a 24-unit assisted living building, an enclosed courtyard, and a wellness and therapy center. Residents will have a choice of a studio, one bedroom, or two bedroom unit.

Assisted living staff member Bonnie Gureski says that the extra space is much needed.

“Right now, we have to use our one living room for all our activities, and there are always people coming in and out all the time,” she says. “And the courtyards will be good for people that want to wander.”

The second phase will see the existing assisted living area turned into extra short-term rehabilitation suites and a café. This will make it so that those who come to Scandia Village for short-term care won’t have to share a room with those who are receiving longer-term care, which Notz says is beneficial.

“What we’ve found in our industry,” she says, “is that people rehab faster and more comfortably if the rehab folks are all in one designated area, where they can focus on therapy.”

The renovations will also allow for the rehab suites to be situated closer to the wellness and therapy center, providing easier access for patients.

But while all of that is important, it’s the third phase of the renovations that the staff at Scandia Village is most looking forward to.

“The last part of the project is that our care center rooms are going to be private, which is a big step for us,” says Scharrig. “For many, many years we’ve wanted to have that. That will make a big impact on the families, to have that extra privacy and space.”

So far, the fundraising campaign has focused its efforts in-house, and according to Scharrig the residents and staff of Scandia Village have really stepped up. The campaign has already raised $2.7 million – a million dollars of which was donated by the SCAND Auxiliary.

Now the capital campaign committee is preparing to take their efforts public. Scandia is working with a large amount of donors and looking at applying for a number of grants, as well as hosting a number of fundraisers.

Paula Hedeen, Scandia volunteer and member of the Campaign Executive Committee, acknowledges that finding $8 million is going to be a difficult task, but she says that she’s dedicated to making the renovations happen.

“It’s my purpose and my passion,” says Hedeen, whose mother lived at Scandia Village from 2000 to 2002. “I look at the people there who have helped make our world what it is today, and I think that we should take care of those people.”

Those involved with the campaign hope that, with the help of the community, they will be able to meet their goal sometime next year.

“This has been a dream for so long that to see the reality of it starting to take place is very special,” says Scharrig. “It’s going to impact the lives of these people forever onward.”

Those who would like to make an individual contribution to the campaign are encouraged to contact Scandia Village at 920.854.2317.