The next significant milestone on our Guest Housing project is to reach the halfway point. The overall goal of this project is $4 million. However, once we hit the $2 million mark we can name a general contractor, put the project out to bid and determine costs for key construction areas. We've had offers of gifts in kind from a number of vendors who are interested in partnering with us. Once we have that contractor in place we can better communicate with these vendors to determine their levels of interest. It's conceivable that we could get some or all of the lumber donated. The same goes for the mechanical portion of the project. Who knows what other opportunities exist out there? It's exciting to see the level of interest being shown.
Our fundraising total for this project stands at approximately $1.85 million. That puts us very near that magic $2 million mark. We have a number of strategies in place to help us reach that total within the next month. We hope that we can put the project out to bid and perhaps even break ground before the end of the summer. Thanks for your help in moving this project forward.
On a related note, we were saddened this past month at the passing of one of our project's biggest supporters. Bill Moore (see photo) has been a huge advocate for guest housing. He donated a portion of the land on which we will build and he provided additional financial resources to help us reach our goal. Bill's family requested all memorials be directed to the Guest Housing Fund at Providence Portland Medical Foundation.
The end of the year is always a rewarding time for philanthropy. It’s amazing how generous so many of our friends are at this time of year.
One key highlight related to our Guest Housing project came to pass when a group of siblings signed over their mother’s former home as an outright gift to Providence Portland Medical Foundation. Their mother passed many years ago and the house, while vacant, has been maintained and is current on its taxes. The home received an appraisal of $385,000 and that becomes the value of this gift. This family has chosen to split the proceeds between Guest Housing and Cancer Research.
That brings our Guest Housing total to $1,816,454. We must get to the $2 million mark before we can move this project forward. We’re getting very close. We appreciate our many friends at GlobalGiving for helping us to achieve our goal.
Donors and other interested parties gathered on September 20th for an event to celebrate progress on the Providence Portland Guest Housing project. The vacant Moore Lithograph building a block west of Providence Portland Medical Center was transformed for the evening. This location is the future site of our Guest Housing facility which will benefit patients and their families.
Those in attendance learned that we are approaching our $2 million mark for fundraising. That halfway point in our overall goal will allow us to put the project out to bid and take advantage of several generous offers of construction materials and other “gifts in kind”.
Providence Portland Medical Center is increasingly becoming a regional destination for health care services. When patients and their families travel to Portland, they often find themselves in unfamiliar surroundings at a vulnerable and stressful time in their lives. Finding affordable and convenient lodging can be a major challenge. Providence Portland plans to address that need with a new Patient and Family Guest House offering all the comforts of home.
Located just a block from the hospital, this Guest House will include thirty units in a peaceful and welcoming setting that offers opportunities for either privacy or fellowship. Families will be able to share their burdens with others as they heal together.
