Message from the President, December 2011
Dear Friends,
As I write this on Christmas Eve 2011 and think back over the last five years, I feel a great sense of joy and shared accomplishment because of all each of you has done for our wonderful project. I know that you are as thrilled as I that we are nearing completion on construction of the four cottages and administration building at 2311 Shirley Cove in Sheridan. The Scott Cottage, the Watt Cottage, the Whitney Cottage, the Founders Cottage and the Don Roberts Building will introduce this change in nursing home care to the state of Wyoming and help other communities as they consider providing the kind of care and fulfilling lives our elders deserve.
Especially gratifying is watching our new employees in training, wrapping their minds and souls around the concepts and methods which define the Green House model. We have a great group of enthusiastic people, eager to practice their new profession. Our core management group, supported by the Task Force and Board has done an outstanding job of recruiting, hiring and training this group of caregivers. They have received classroom training in the Green House Way and hands on culinary training in the Watt Cottage, albeit with some competition and complications of move-in and construction punch list work.
We will be taking occupancy of the the Scott and Watt cottages over the next two weeks and the Roberts building is now ours – our folks are unpacking from their move from the downtown office. The Whitney Cottage and the Founders Cottage will be completed in February (watch for a grand opening announcement). We hope to begin serving elders in the first two cottages early in January. A second group of nurses and Shahbazim will be hired and trained for the third and fourth cottages.
All of this is happening only because of all the work you have done and the outstanding support provided by the community. And by community I mean that in the largest sense – people of Sheridan and Johnson Counties and the state of Wyoming, donor organizations, government folks at all levels and individuals from all walks of life. I dare not mention names – the list is long and impressive.
The volunteer effort that has been there for every step of the way is fantastic. Each of you knows how much you have contributed of you time, talent and treasure and in total it is amazing to me. I do not think that any of us understood the total effort that would be required when we decided to form up and proceed with the project. This blissful ignorance at least on my part allowed me to go ahead with what in retrospect appears an insurmountable task for a volunteer organization. It was meant to be. . .
Thank you all from my heart for your effort, enthusiasm and belief in this extremely worthwhile undertaking. Happy Holidays to you and your families.
Doug
Doug Osborn
President
Green House Living for Sheridan