Fraternity-Testvériség, 2002 (80. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
2002-04-01 / 2. szám
Page 4 TESTVÉRISÉG “Dawning of a New Day” Capital Campaign to Benefit the Bethlen Home On Tuesday, April 23, 2002, Mr. George Dózsa, Chairman of the Board, and the Rev. Stefan M. Torok, President/CEO of the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America attended a very important meeting at the Bethlen Home. The meeting was to discuss and prepare for the Capital Campaign to benefit the Bethlen Home. The driving theme of the meeting was based upon the Scripture recorded in the Letter of the Apostle James 1:22,25: “We are doers of the Word.” The Bethlen Home, a charitable institution, was estabished 80 years ago in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Its Mission Statement describes its purpose in these words: “To provide a healthy and nurturing living environment for individuals, with particular emphasis on those individuals with special needs due to age or infirmity. To provide a retreat and conference center for organizations of the greater Ligonier, Pennsylvania, community and for the members of the greater American Hungarian Community. To preserve, nurture and celebrate the unique history of the American-Hungarian people for the benefit of current and future generations.” The Bethlen Home was named in honor of the Hungarian Prince Gabor Bethlen. It was established in 1921 by the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America, along with the Hungarian Reformed congregations, which gave financial assistance. Through the years, the services provided by the Bethlen Home have changed. The original purpose of the Home was to provide a home for orphans of the Hungarian families affected by the Pennsylvania mine disasters. Later it also became a home for the elderly. In the 1950’s, the original nursing home was constructed on “Mount Moriah,” borrowing from the Biblical name. In the 1970’s, a new wing was added to the nursing home. In the late 1990’s, the Bethlen Home’s management developed a vision and plan for its continued ministry. In 2001, the Bethlen Home purchased Ligonier Gardens, a modern personal assisted living care facility, to expand its range of services to the community. During the late 1990’s, Bethlen Home’s Strategic Planning Committee made an evaluation of all the services of the Home. It concluded that the present Nursing Care Facility, which has served so many for so long, is no longer adequate to meet the needs of those now seeking its services. The antiquated nursing home building no longer fully meets all legal requirements, and we have no other choice but to construct a new facility. Since this decision was made, the Committee has worked hard to find the right individuals to formulate the plans for the construction of a totally new facility on property which the Bethlen Home owns on the top of the hill. Although the conceptual design of the new facility has been accepted by the Board of Directors of the Bethlen Home, we must now find the means to finance and construct this modem new building. According to the experts, in order to fulfill the vision of the dreamers, the cost of the construction will be approximately $12 million, with an additional $3 million required for soft costs. We expect to have financing for the construction, possibly in the form of a bond issue, in the near future. However, funds are still needed to furnish the new home. This can only be accomplished through an aggressive Capital Campaign Drive. The Capital Campaign Drive is expected to formally begin at the Bethlen Home picnic on Sunday, July 21, 2002. We ask that our readers, members of the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America, and the members of our congregations support the work of the Bethlen Home from the beginning of this project. The Bethlen Home will need to raise about $3 million in charitable contributions. The “Dawning of a New Day” Campaign has been instituted to provide the opportunity for the supporters, helpers, and members of our Christian community to respond to this need. The Campaign is designed to seek gifts from a number of specific groups within the Bethlen Home family, namely: the greater families of the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America, major donors, congregations from the American Hungarian Community, past and present Board members of the Bethlen Home, Bethlen Home residents and their families, and established charitable institutions. We are happy to report that a Capital Campaign Steering Committee has been formed. The Bethlen Home has assigned a full time employee, Mrs. Pat Armel, to direct the Campaign with the assistance of the professional fund raising consultant of Gronlund, Sayther, and Brunkow. It is with great pleasure that we announce that Mrs. Sandra Mellon of the historic Mellon family of Pennsylvania has accepted our invitation to serve as Campaign Chair. Several other Chair positions have also been filled. Mr. George Dózsa, former President of the Federation and presently Chairman of the Board, will serve as Major Gift Chair. Mr. Joseph Fabri, a member of both the Federation and Bethlen Home Boards, is responsible for coordinating the efforts with the current and past Boards of Directors’ members. The President of the HRFA, the Rev. Stefan M. Torok, will represent the HRFA in the fund raising efforts. The Ligonier Area Major Gift Chair is Mr. Richard Flickinger, Esq., a well known and respected attorney in the area. Area congregations of the Ligonier Valley are represented by the Rev. Robert Cummings, a great supporter of our ministries.
