The Future of OFRA is
New Mauno Kaihla Koti
As the baby boomers are entering their retirement years (aged 57-75), it has caused an increase in demand for health care services, including long-term care facilities. In 2015, the OFRA Board of Directors reviewed the trend in significant growth of the senior population in Sault Ste. Marie and area and agreed that it needed to be addressed.
At the same time, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MHLTC) were updating LTCH guidelines for building standards, etc. Given the age of Mauno Kaihla Koti, the OFRA Board of Directors decided that rather than retrofit, it made more sense to build a new long-term care home which would not only meet, but exceed the MHLTC new mandates of a nursing home and double the capacity of the home to meet the growing demand for care needs for seniors.
However, the OFRA Board of Directors doesn’t want the just the basics. New MKK is going to be “Better than Basic”. But it will not only benefit the residents; New MKK will be built with all users in mind including resident families, staff, volunteers, support services and vendors.
New MKK is "Homes with a Heart"
This new building will maintain our “Homes with a Heart” approach to health care
while including the latest and greatest in technology, innovation and infection control.
New MKK will feature:
- Four floors with 32 rooms per floor with each floor subdivided into two units of 16 rooms
- 16 fully customizable ventilation areas (four per floor) with increased Heppa and UV/Ozone filtration
- Each resident will have an individual room, with the semi-private only sharing a bathroom
- Larger dining rooms to better promote social distancing and a larger kitchen with streamlined serveries
- Three elevators to avoid bottlenecking of people and supplies moving from floor to floor
- High efficiency industrial laundry facilities
- Full-size chapel
- Activity rooms on each floor
- Beauty parlor
- A Tuck Shop
- Lounges for families
- Large donor recognition wall
- Materials selected that are ideal for sanitation/disinfection
In the unfortunate event of another major outbreak, OFRA will be in a good position to contain infections and keep them from spreading - keeping more residents safe and out of harm’s way. From these new designs, many of the building systems will be controllable remotely, which means a better response rate to emergency situations wherever and whenever they arise.
Why Do We Need to Fundraise?
The Ministry will only cover approximately 75% of the cost, and only for the basic facets of the facility. These include the construction of the building itself, basic equipment, and some basic furniture (i.e. bed, wardrobe and bedside table).
Furthermore, other than an initial small payment, funding will not begin until the first resident moves in and it will be dispersed through a per diem calculation over the next 25 years.
To assist in the additional cost of building New MKK, the Foundation and the Ladies’ Auxiliary have pledged to raise $3 million. Funds raised will go towards two streams – half towards brick and mortar and the other half towards furnishing all areas within New MKK including upgraded furniture for the resident rooms.
Now we need the help of all our supporters to reach our fundraising goal. To date, the Ladies Auxiliary and the Foundation have raised over $850,000 – 30% of our overall fundraising goal. Contact us to see how you can make a difference!
Why Do You Donate?
Harry Koskenoja
"I decided to start giving a monthly donation because I wanted to support OFRA in a more substantial way than I had been doing with occasional donations. I have a fairly long personal and family history with OFRA, so I have seen close-up that the organization lives up to its commitment to provide a quality experience for its residents, a cause well worth supporting."
Heidi Schell
"I give because of my love for the residents and my heritage. Our forefathers worked hard to bring one man’s vision to fruition, I am so darn proud of all their accomplishments and am grateful that I can be a part of it! My parents transitioned from Kotitalo to MKK and they were so grateful to reside in a home that embraced the Finnish culture. They were so well cared for and the staff here always put the residents at the center of everything they do. I give for this very reason, my love for the residents, to see their smiles, to enjoy their warm and loving embrace, and for my OFRA family…. One day I too will end up here and I want nothing but the continued best for all."
Raija Ritokoski
"I love donating work and money for OFRA. I have many friends who live in these buildings and I live here too. Always a good place to live. I donated towards Uusi Koti now I donating to New MKK. Every penny helps. I love OFRA”.
Tania Lavoie
“I donate to OFRA because my family has quite a long history with the organization. Both of my grandparents (mummu & pappa) used to work at OFRA. Mummu used to make me sing for the residents at Kotitalo and play shuffleboard (although to be fair, I enjoyed the shuffleboard part). Now, they are residents in one of our independent living buildings and have been living here happily for many years. I have witnessed first-hand how great the staff are and my wish is that others have the opportunity to experience similar with their family members."
Call OFRA
705-945-9987
ext. 212 or 257
A live person can take down your credit card information to be processed.
Online
You can donate online through
the link below:
Those who donate online at www.CanadaHelps.org will receive their official tax receipt by email immediately after the donation has been processed.
Come in & Mail-In
Come visit our office or mail in your donations to:
OFRA Foundation
725 North St.
Sault Ste. Marie ON P6B 5Z3
Please ensure all cheques are made payable to "The Ontario Finnish Resthome Foundation"
All donations will be receipted annually and donors will received their donation tax receipt no later than the end of February the following year except those donations that were made via CanadaHelps. According to Canada Review Agency’s gifting and receipting policies, if a donor gives a gift of a tangible item or a monetary donation (ie: a gift of property) to OFRA, the donor shall receive an official taxable donation receipt. However, gift certificates, gift cards and gifts of service are not considered property but rather a promise, and are not eligible for tax deductions. For these items, the donor will receive a non-taxable business receipt.
