The new veteran's home in Ogden is nearing its official ribbon cutting after having received some crucial support from Hill Air Force Base. The Top 3 and the Hill Chief's Group took it upon themselves to answer the challenge and provided funds to furnish one room. With matching funds, two to one, from the Veterans Administration, that resulted in three furnished rooms. The only thing is, there are 15 rooms left, which need furnishings.
Bob Jones, Northern Utah Veteran's Home Nursing Home Advisory Boardmember, is still seeking the necessary funding for the last few rooms for the 120-room George E. Wahlen Northern Utah Veteran's Home.
Jones is especially appreciative that the Utah legislators frontloaded this project with full funding rather than waiting another two to three years for full federal funding -- otherwise, he says, it would have cost easily another $1 million per year as the project waited.
Jones also credits the Air Force Comptrollers and finance personnel with financing a room for the project.
The cost to sponsor a room is $3,500.
Master Sgt. Jessica Elias, Top 3 president, remembers challenging the Hill Chief's Group to meet an amount of $1,750 so that each together would furnish a room.
"The Top 3 were looking for things to donate to. We wanted to make an impact on the community and/or the base -- so we brought up different ideas," she said.
Elias invited Jones to conduct a presentation on the base and afterward she said a meeting convened to consider the idea was enthusiastic as the motion sped through normal meeting procedures. She credits Chief Master Sgt. Stanley Bauer, of the Chief's Group, since retired, for his support and in suggesting the idea in the Top 3 planning meeting. The Chief's Group is a participating member of the Top 3.
In addition to sponsoring a class of Weber State University Davis Campus students to hold a bake sale at the BX, she said, "Chief (Bauer) also had a coffee can that he would set on his desk and take to different functions." She also says that the Presidents Council at Hill Air Force Base held a luncheon to raise funds.
"Every little bit helps, especially when the VA is matching two to one," Elias said, but these efforts were all essential to reaching the total.
The President's Council raised more than $1,000 through its efforts.
Bauer believes $500 was raised through the BX bake sale and notes the class also placed some collection cans in businesses in downtown Layton and approached the Hill Riders Association at the base for donations. The class provided more than $1,000 from the bake sale efforts, the cans and all other efforts.
Jones says that the $3,500 required for furnishing each room provides a hospital bed, a chest of drawers, a wardrobe and all of the other furniture needed to fully outfit a room.
"All of the equipment in the rooms must meet federal guidelines just as in any hospital or private nursing home."
Donors do not have to provide for a full room. Any amount will be gratefully accepted, Jones said.
For more information contact the Utah Department of Veterans Affairs at 1 (800) 894-9497 or by mail at 550 Foothill Blvd., Suite 202, Salt Lake City, Utah 84113.
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