Catholic hospital demolition is boon for area nonprofits |
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Written by ANGELA KESSLER, Chronicle Editor
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Friday, 05 June 2009 01:00 |
TIFFIN—Demolition of the former Mercy Hospital of Tiffin building has begun, but not before officials made sure functional pieces of the nearly 100-year-old structure could be put to good use elsewhere.
Items not moved to the new facility, such as office furniture and building fixtures have been distributed to a number of charitable agencies throughout the Tiffin area, including Our Lady of the Pines Retreat Center, a nursing facility, the United Way and other area agencies.
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Volunteers from Mercy Hospital of Tiffin — Gwen Wiseman, left, and Laura Gaietto —
volunteer to make improvements at PatchWorks House, a nonprofit organization in Tiffin. The crew used salvaged materials from the former Mercy Hospital building to help renovate the house. (Photo courtesy of Mercy Hospital of Tiffin) |
"This comes out of our formation through the Sisters of Mercy," explains the Rev. John Halstead, an ordained Baptist minister and former director of mission and values integration for the hospital. "There’s a strong sense of responsibility and stewardship that ties into our core value of service. The sisters were always very careful of utilizing our resources appropriately and so we want to continue that tradition and value within the decisions we make."
Charles Ervin, director of facility and support operations for Mercy Hospital of Tiffin, says the decision to build a new facility was predicated on a commitment to the community to not leave an empty building in Tiffin. Additionally, he says, hospital officials were very conscious of preserving the legacy of the building and the founders of the hospital.
"We wanted to salvage as much as we could for services in the community that would be consistent with what the Sisters of Mercy had always envisioned," Mr. Ervin says. To that end, furniture and materials were given to worthy organizations at no charge.
While most of the materials from the former chapel were moved to the new hospital, other items were distributed locally. Pews were given to Autumnwood Care Center, a nursing facility that recently remodeled its chapel. "As it happened, (the pews) fit perfectly into the space and decor. It worked perfectly for their needs," Rev. Halstead says.
Stained glass windows were also preserved. Several of them are to be used as displays in the new hospital, along with the cornerstone and masonry cross that stood above the original Market Street entrance. Other stained glass windows were used in the Tiffin Franciscan Sisters renovated chapel.
"That’s what excites me, from a mission perspective," Rev. Halstead says, "seeing some of these items that very much represent our faith-based identity being reused in other faith-based programs and entities."
Cabinetry, furniture and office fixtures were also given away. While many organizations benefited from what was left of the hospital, the Sisters of Mercy were given first choice.
"We basically took the Sisters of Mercy through our facility, gave them a tour and (they) were really given carte blanche to take whatever they felt they could use," Rev. Halstead says. "This is their facility ... so we felt it important that whatever they would be able to use for their ministry outreach ... that they should really have first option of those items."
After an employee "garage" sale, charitable organizations were next to request materials.
"We had a pretty long laundry list of requests that came in from the community," Rev. Halstead says. "And then we tried to address as many of those as we could and as were appropriate."
"It’s interesting because, as we look at what we’ve been able to pull out, we were able to take and reuse so much of that facility ... there’s not really a lot left," Rev. Halstead says.
The stewardship of resources did not end at the donations. Even the demolition contractor is salvaging copper and other metals, doors and building materials. Brick and mortar are also to be recycled, Mr. Ervin says. The value of the salvaged materials is being deducted from the demolition cost, he adds.
"We don’t want to fill up a landfill with items that can be used," Rev. Halstead says. "Especially in these days, with the economic duress we’re all facing, we’re all called to examine our resources and become very creative so as not to drain unduly the limited resources we have."
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 29 September 2009 13:20 |
