MARION – A grant from 100 Women Who Care Marion will go a long way to providing comfort and a positive dining experience for residents of Brownstone Terrace, a United Church Homes affordable housing community.

Each quarter, the 100 Women Who Care group selects one project to support, and they voted to fund an upgrade to Brownstone at their Feb. 4, 2019, meeting. The 100 Women Who Care group is a national organization with local chapters in various cities, including Marion. Only nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply for grant funding.

Each member nominates an organization to receive funding during the meetings. Those nominations are drawn at random, and three are chosen to present to the group at the next meeting. Members who are present vote for a winner of the grant funding for that quarter.

Brownstone Terrace has 36 residents and was built in 1991. Its residents must be 62 years or older or have a handicap or mobility impairment.

At the meeting, resident Kathy Handley shared her journey to the community. Undergoing surgery two years ago, she was on life support for four days and in the hospital for 21 days and stayed at Heartland of Marion before moving into Brownstone.

“Brownstone has given me a secure place to live and get my strength back,” Handley said.

Brownstone, which still has its original furniture from 1991, will use the funds for new chairs and tables in the community room as well as patio furniture for residents to enjoy the outdoors. “We’d like to make (the community space) look like a dining room because now it looks like a school cafeteria,” Handley added.

In total, the community will receive approximately $5,000 from 100 Women Who Care.

United Church Homes, based in Marion, serves nearly 5,000 residents in 14 states and two Native American nations. Sixty-one of its communities are affordable housing, funded through U.S. Housing and Urban Development. Residents pay only 30 percent of their adjusted monthly income for rent.

For more information about United Church Homes, visit unitedchurchhomes.org.

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About United Church Homes: United Church Homes, headquartered in Marion, Ohio, has been “Celebrating the Spirit” of seniors for more than a century. The faith-inspired nonprofit organization is one of the nation’s largest providers of senior living services, with more than 1,800 dedicated staff serving nearly 5,000 residents of all faiths in 74 senior living communities throughout 14 states and two Native American nations. UCH is in covenant with the United Church of Christ and welcomes residents of all faiths.

Contact: Alissa Paolella, United Church Homes Office of Communications 740.382.4885 or apaolella@uchinc.org