MEXICO — With the increasing demand for safe housing for the area’s aging and developmentally disabled, Hope Association has started construction of a New Hope residence at 91 Highland Terrace, which will replace the current New Hope home in Mexico.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held recently for the facility, which will be completed sometime in September. Among those on hand were four very happy clients in Carol Gaudin, Devon Pineau, Cherri Philbrick and Missy Small, who will be living there. The new home will be situated on five acres of land across from Mountain Valley Middle School, close to the ITS snowmobile trail/ walking trail.

“People with disabilities are unique,” stated Catherine Johnson, execut ive director of Hope Association. “One of our goals is to promote aging in place. Nursing homes, although a great option, aren’t always the best place for everyone. It can be frustrating for the resident as well as the nurse staff who haven’t had the opportunity to be properly trained. The residents are of a younger generation who don’t want to be in a nursing home.”

She said the new home, itself, is one story with small things that we all take for granted. The washer and dryer in the old home was in the basement only accessible by going down step twisting stairs which are very dangerous to anyone that has balance or mobility limits. The new home will allow all four residents the opportunity to learn how to do their own laundry. The kitchen, dining and livingroom areas are open with a handicap work station for wheel chair accessibility and appliances situated to allow for everyone to assist with meal preparation and cooking.

‘Maintaining skills, learning new skills, being more independent and sharing our accomplishments increases our quality of life, health and happiness. Like all families not everyone has all good days. During the design process, we were able to fit in a small sitting room where anyone can have some private space to visit with their friends and family. It’s also an opportunity to just have some uninterrupted space. This is an alternative space, that is quiet and a bit removed from the other members of our family, besides just a bedroom. This will give everyone a sense of control and freedom,’ Johnson noted.

‘John Durland has been extremely accommodating by working with us to acquire five acres. Being close to the ITS snowmobile trail/walking trail and the Mexico Middle School we are sure many more opportunities will open up for us,” she said.

This home will replace the Hope Training School, originally purchased and opened in 1963. This was a place to educate and train children with intellectual disabilities.

Because of Margaret Beliveau’s keen knowledge of the political process, she helped Hope accomplish many goals and objectives. Her initial involvement was providing speech therapy to children in Pineland. ‘She worked tirelessly with other parents around the state to form ARC’s that would obtain support to provide services in their own communities instead of institutions.’

However, over time, the home has gotten very expensive to maintain, the floors are uneven, all the bedrooms are upstairs, causing hazards for the residents, and the interior of the house is not handicapped accessible.

“With state guidelines becoming more strict, we were running the risk of not being in safety compliance with that home, especially as people age,” noted Johnson.

Another challenge is paying for the new home, which carries a price tag estimated to be nearly $500,000. To date, funds that have been earmarked for the construction total approximately $113,000. Fundraising began in 2007 under the direction of Joe Sirois and the past board of directors.

They did not receive a grant they were hoping to get for the project as there were a record number of applications. ‘We will continue to utilize donations as needed and if anyone specifically want to contribute to this project – we welcome it,’ said Johnson.

She noted that ‘Our annual appeal, which starts on July 1, will be dedicated this year to the project.’

Donations can be mailed to Hope Association, 85 Lincoln Ave., Rumford 04276, or visit their website at www.hopeassociation. Click on the Get Involved Tab and then donate. They use the secure website supported by PayPal. Funding for the home, once it’s built, will also come from state payment for staffing, as each resident pays for room/board, heat, electricity and food. Capital expenses, administrative, furnishings and other routine costs will be mostly up to the association.

‘We anticipate the project to be completed by September. We will revisit DHHS (Dept. of Health and Human Services) licensing and finance departments to see if there is any other funding options as well. We also look forward to an open house so everyone can have an opportunity to really see how this project will benefit not only the four residents, but Hope Association as a whole and many others that we collaborate with,’ said Johnson.

She said the name will remain New Hope, until DHHS licensing is approved.

“We’re a very conscientious organization,” stated Johnson. “We buy in bulk, bid our services that we’re in need of, all so we can get the best cost for all our needs. Many of our long time employees perform more than one administrative function which keeps our general and administrative costs below 10 percent. Security, health and safety are all priorities to us and to be able to continue to provide this to all that we serve with the support of our family, friends and the whole community really is priceless.

The architect for the building is William Hamilton. The contractor is Jerry Morin of Morin Enterprises in Lewiston.

Hope Association is a non-profit organization that works closely with parents, guardians and the Dept. of Health and Human Services to provide quality services to a varied population with a variety of abilities. They provide services to individuals in the Oxford, Franklin and Androscoggin counties.