Veterans home breaks ground on new pavilion project
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – Shovels hit dirt today at the Missouri Veterans’ Home in Cape Girardeau, where they broke ground for a new pavilion. This project is designed to provide residents and their families with a welcoming outdoor space.
Kristen Pind is the Volunteer Coordinator for the Missouri Veteran’s home. She says they desperately needed an outdoor space for when families visit. Matt Kiefner is the Cape Girardeau Missouri Veterans Home Foundation Board President, and he says the pavilion will be a perfect space for that.
“They didn’t have enough space inside to do anything like this, and it’s always been the foundation’s, view that we’ll do whatever we can to help out, and improve or, make things and the quality of life just a little bit better for them” says Kiefner.
He says the project starting next week should be done by the end February and shares project details.
“You can see it here in the background, in the rendering but it’ll have a large meeting space for veterans and families to maybe come out at a picnic or whatever they need to do, it’ll have bathrooms, it’ll also have a full kitchen. So, you could do anything you want out here” says Kiefner.
According to Pind this project was completely funded through multiple community efforts.
The pavilion cost is estimated to be around $650,000.
“This project has been funded, a majority by donations. Everything from neighbors giving $50 to, you know, Bank of Missouri stepping up and donating a good chunk to, being left in an estate by the Duggans who were wonderful volunteers here decades ago. And they added us into their estate and when they passed, their, goal was that this went to a project such as this, and it just so happened that we were in the process of getting the plans drawn up, and it was just perfect timing” says Pind.
Pind says this outdoor project will give much needed space to residents and their families, where they can visit and chat without feeling too packed in or rushed.
Many of the residents look forward to family days all year long and the added outdoor pavilion will make that day just a little sweeter!
