Nazareth Villages is getting over 100 brand-new air conditioning units after receiving an essential grant from The Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana.
On Monday, Nazareth Village President and CEO Vicki Ward brought together the residents of Building I to tell them they’re getting new air conditioning units. The lunch announcement was met with praise and excitement for the wide-scale upgrades.
Late last year, The Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana awarded more than $2 million in grant funding to 21 organizations. In the press release from the foundation, it stated the organizations were selected based on their commitment to cultivate healthy funding and meeting the needs of vulnerable populations.
The Sisters of Charity of Nazareth was one of the many local organizations awarded funding to the sum of $200,000. The Nazareth Village I will receive 112 new air conditioning units; one for each apartment and every common area.
“We have limped them along by just putting Band-Aids on them,” Ward said of current units. “You have to order parts and wait for the parts to come in. In the meantime, the people, and if it’s during extreme weather, it’s really bad, hot or cold. We had to purchase some portable units to cover that time. It’s just an inconvenience for the residents.”
Ward said the current in-wall units have been a part of the building since the late 2000s and have been repaired and replaced in multiple apartments. She said when the Office of Mission Advancement applied for the grant, individuals from the Legacy Foundation toured the facility to see the need.
She said they showed them around the building, seeing the units in action. Ward said they also showed the representatives the units that were being repaired, noting the age and extent of what needed to be fixed.
The $200,000 was a saving grace, being more than enough funds to replace the units in each apartment and all of the common areas for residents. Ward said currently they have 103 residents and over the last several years experienced issues with the units. This grant is allowing them to improve the environment for the residents in their care.
“We will always continue to improve,” Ward said. “We have to upkeep the appliances in the apartment. We’ll probably look at replacing some of the stoves, and that’ll be next on the list. We continuously do small updates throughout the building.”
Lolita Ortega, one of the building’s many residents, was excited to hear the news. Ortega was experiencing a few issues with the current units. On one occasion, her unit was smoking and had to be replaced. She said she is more than excited to have the new units.
Ortega said when she did have issues with the old units, Ward and the maintenance team always acted quickly. While her unit was being repaired, they gave her portable units to stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
Ward said they custom ordered the new air-conditioning units and their maintenance team will install them when they arrive.
“One thing that we strive to do here is just provide safe, comfortable, healthy apartments for our seniors and disabled people,” she said. “Heating and air is one of those comforts that you really have to have. We’re very excited.”