A Michigan Home for the Aged
The year was 1993 – an important year for City Rescue Mission of Saginaw and for us. Constructed by Saginaw County to replace the historic County Infirmary that stood on the other side of Hospital Road, the Village had seen its day and was set to close as determined by county commissioners. Because our leadership at City Rescue Mission knew many frail elders found Community Village to be exactly what they needed, our board approached the County Controller to dissuade the leadership from closing. To our surprise, their recommendation was for City Rescue Mission to submit a proposal to assume Village operation. Though today that sounds practical, in 1992 our organization was much smaller and the idea was daunting. Yet we came to an agreement with Saginaw County and invested over $1 million to have the facility licensed as a Michigan Home for the Aged.
Residents You Know And Care About
Since that day, residents have come from both City Rescue Mission and even more from the general public. I think of the folks that have made Community Village their home during these 25 years, and I can connect almost every church in the area with someone who once lived here. Some of them your neighbors, some of them your family.
One of our current residents is a dear lady with whom I attended church 40 years ago. Another lady turned to City Rescue Mission in 2002 and then moved into the Village a few months later. A victim of domestic violence and eventually a widow, she was also diagnosed with lung cancer, the beginning of a long battle for her. Numerous times we were unsure whether she’d recover, but today she is living cancer-free! For sixteen years now, this dear lady has been an important part of our community.
Christian Love: To Visit the Widows
At the heart of our story is Christian love. “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit widows and orphans in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” – James 1:27. We have many friends who are heavily invested in Community Village through their financial support and volunteer involvement. Last month I visited with a lady who has so generously given to help Community Village. I asked her how she became interested in the Village, and immediately she responded that she could think of nothing worse than being a widow in need of assistance without having resources to pay for her needed care. This is someone truly committed to the mission we embrace.
If you’ve walked any part of this 25 years with us, thank you for the significant role you’ve assumed. We may not be changing the whole world, but we are making a world of difference. Together!
– Ken Streeter
