New Home Project
After 11 years of planning, the dream of a new, larger Ottawa Rotary Home has become a reality. Our original eight-bed Home has evolved over the years to meet the ever growing respite needs of the community. In 2001, we added 3 beds to accommodate children who have complex medical needs. Office and storage space was transformed into an extra bedroom and every corner of the home was utilized for our daily operation. We continued to grow and began to feel the limitations of our small home.
Another reality was hitting us. Over 130 of the children we had cared for and watched grow had turned 21, making them ineligible to use our services; 60 more would be ineligible within the next 8 years! Where would these families turn?
Ottawa Rotarians took the lead and committed to building a new Ottawa Rotary Home with one 13-bed wing for children and a second 8-bed wing providing timeshare accommodation and respite programs for adults, staying true to our mission of supporting families.
The Building
The building, designed by Barry J. Hobin & Associates Architects Inc., will be 18,000 square feet with the most up-to-date facilities, furnishings and equipment for those with physical disabilities and/or complex medical needs. The building will rest on a five-acre gift of land on Bank Street in Ottawa South that has been generously donated by Suzanne and Keith Halpenny.
This new home is more than we ever dreamed of. It has a separate administration area, a Snoezelen room, 2 craft rooms (one in each wing), a learning centre, 2 oversized bedrooms for individuals with large medical equipment, and so much more!