T. J. Community Mission Foundation unveils its second capital project

By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1

During the Hometown Showdown Lip Sync Battle on Saturday, Oct. 14, Randy Burns, one of the master of ceremonies at the event and the executive director of the T. J. Community Mission Foundation, announced the second capital project in the foundation’s history that aims to help the people in the hospital’s rehabilitation and therapy programs.

“Recently, the board approved the second capital project in the history of the foundation,” Burns said.

Burns dubbed the second project the “Samsonville Square,” which will “expand the rehab and therapy programs” by providing real world experiences in the safe environment of the T. J. Health Pavilion. Real world experiences like a fully functional kitchen, a restaurant, a grocery store and various other simulations, Shara Page, director of rehabilitation and therapy program, said.

“This has actually been a dream of ours for over 20 years,” Page said. “This is something we’ve always wanted to do…we really want to bring real world activities to the outpatient environment.”

“It’s going to do incredible work. This is going to serve thousands of people a year in so many incredible ways,” Burns added.

Burns said this project will cost roughly $750,000 to complete but with the fundraising the ten teams did combined with the Lip Sync Battle ticket sales they have “taken a big bite” of the total, raising roughly $45,000.

Doug Landers, chairman of the mission foundation, said it was “a very easy sell” as it will impact so many lives throughout the community.

“It’s something that is going to be so good for this community,” Landers said. “It’s going to help…”

Burns, Landers and Page all agreed this project was a unique addition to the T. J. Regional Health community.

“When you think about this facility, there are very few facilities like this that have twelve real world simulation areas where therapists will be able to work with patients like they are in a grocery store or walking up a flight of stairs onto a front porch,” Burns said. “There’s few places like this in the surrounding states but it’s so rare to have this in an outpatient program.”

“You don’t find this anywhere in the state. This is something we’re very excited about. It’s so unique,” Page added.

Since the opening of the Shanti Niketan Hospice Home in March 2021, Burns said they have done numerous small projects like the Serenity Garden but not done a big “capital” project.

“Samsonville Square is on the way baby!” Burns said.

Burns said within the coming months more information will be made available.