An open letter from DCHF President Paul Weese:
Dresden Community Healthcare Foundation, Saturday August 25th/2012
The construction of the new healthcare building on Tecumseh Street is on schedule and I want to take this opportunity to provide you and your readers with more information.
During August, the drywall work on the interior will be completed as will the brickwork and trim on the outside. September will see interior painting, installation of doors and trim and the installation of floor coverings. The completion date is expected to be early November.
The months of July and August have been accompanied by a slow-down in fundraising receipts. This is probably due to vacations and the busyness of summer. The goal remains to have the building totally locally owned on the date of completion. A mortgage has been secured for a portion of the building cost, with the balance to be covered by donations and fundraising events. To date, approximately $300 000 has been raised. Additionally, $60 000 has been pledged before November 1. Major fundraising events are planned for September and October. We still have to raise approximately $220 000 before November 1.
This building is essential to Dresden for two main reasons. First, without this facility, we believe that the recruitment of additional physicians will be very difficult. Newly graduating physicians expect to work as a member of a team in an organization that allows them to practice medicine without the need of owning a building or managing employees. Second, without access to family physicians, residents will be forced to go to Chatham, Wallaceburg and farther away to receive care. In addition to being an inconvenience, this also will give them more opportunity to spend their money elsewhere, placing additional economic hardship on the town.
On behalf of the Dresden Community Healthcare Foundation, I want to thank the residents of Dresden and area for their support of this project. We hope that your support will continue until the fundraising program is successfully completed.
Watch this new building grow. Follow its progress on Facebook or on our website, www.dchf.org.
Yours sincerely,
Paul Weese,
President, DCHF
Visit the Dresden Community Healthcare Foundation Website at...
http://dchf.ca/