The following is an excerpt from the Boston Home newsletter.
Since 1977, the Yawkey Foundation has changed lives for the better, thanks to a philanthropic legacy of Tom and Jean Yawkey and their commitment to supporting vulnerable individuals and families. Over the last ten years, The Boston Home has been a fortunate recipient of this generosity, which has helped to position The Boston Home as a 21st century leader in caring for adults with neurological disorders. Maureen H. Bleday, Chief Executive Officer of the Yawkey Foundation, explained, “Countless lives have been enriched thanks to the expert, compassionate care that The Boston Home provides, primarily to people with multiple sclerosis. The dedicated staff, who are so committed to enriching the quality of life for residents and providing support for residents’ families, is a key reason that the Yawkey Foundation Trustees are honored to have supported The Boston Home’s mission for more than a decade.”
In today’s environment, The Boston Home faces uncharted challenges because of COVID-19. A residence for 96 individuals and community resource for adults who have advanced neurological disorders, The Boston Home’s population is at high-risk if diagnosed with COVID-19 due to underlying medical conditions, age, and living in a long-term care facility. Residents at The Boston Home have been adhering to quarantine and social distancing protocols since March—a disease prevention policy that has been emotionally difficult for this incredibly social and engaged community.
Through the hardships, it is the commitment, passion, and clinical excellence that have driven The Boston Home’s success since the outbreak of the pandemic. From implementing vigilant infection control practices; establishing a Special Care Unit for residents recovering from COVID-19; instituting daily staff screenings; conducting comprehensive personal protective equipment training; to hosting virtual programming and socially distanced visits for residents and their loved ones, the resiliency of The Boston Home residents, community members, families, and staff is astounding.
The Yawkey Foundation’s unwavering dedication to The Boston Home was emphasized in recent months with expressions of appreciation and well wishes for the residents and staff, as well as considerate inquiries as to what areas of funding are critical to the fight against COVID-19. “At the start of the year, a priority project was replacing our building’s boiler system; however, when the needs and costs for personal protective equipment mounted, we made sacrifices to our operating plan and deferred this project in order to concentrate our efforts on maintaining the safety and health of The Boston Home community,” said Fran Murphy, Chief Financial Officer of The Boston Home. In June, the Yawkey Foundation thoughtfully and generously awarded The Boston Home an unrestricted grant of $50,000 to support the unexpected and unforeseen expenses necessary to keep residents and staff safe. “When we received the news that the Yawkey Foundation was awarding us a grant of $50,000 to be allocated at our discretion, we were elated,” stated Christine Reilly, Chief Executive Officer of The Boston Home. “Flexible funding is more important than ever as we respond to the unanticipated costs related to this pandemic. The relief of unrestricted funding that can be used to purchase masks, gowns, or fund a capital project is tremendous.”
The Yawkey Foundation’s cumulative giving of $625,000 has made a series of crucial small capital grants that enabled The Boston Home to fund important improvements, including projects such as the replacement of an aging HVAC system, installation of new windows, replacement of deteriorating brickwork, and resident bathroom renovations. These brick and mortar restorations are essential to providing the highest quality home environment for residents.
“Tom and Jean Yawkey believed that independence and dignity are essential human rights, and that was reflected in the organizations and causes they supported throughout their eight decades of quiet philanthropy,” said Maureen Bleday. “The compassionate care that The Boston Home provides to adults with advanced progressive neurological disorders is something that we believe would have strongly resonated with Tom and Jean Yawkey.”
The Yawkey Foundation has enabled The Boston Home to carry forward the mission of compassion. In May, The Boston Home announced the public phase of the organization’s first capital campaign in a century with the goal of raising $2.5M for building improvements, equipment, technology advances, and programming. As The Boston Home looks ahead, it is grateful to the Yawkey Foundation’s steadfast partnership, not only during the last six months, but over the last ten years, and its impactful investment in the special place that 96 adults who have multiple sclerosis and other advanced neurological disorders call home.