Construction underway at PSSM

It’s been a banner year for Providence Self-Sufficiency Ministries (PSSM), a ministry of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.

In September, PSSM celebrated 20 years of success with an open house. During the open house, Sister Barbara Ann Zeller, CEO of PSSM, announced the facility had planned a capital campaign to raise funds for two new buildings.

The campaign – for an estimated $2 million – was intended to raise funds for two additional villas at PSSM. Both would be built on the west side of the campus, located in Georgetown, Indiana.

Sister Barbara said prior to the open house in September, PSSM had already conducted the silent portion of the campaign and raised more than $1.5 million.

Recently, Sister Barbara said the campaign is ongoing, but construction on the villas has already started.
“We began construction on the two villas in September and are placing the trusses now on one and will be doing the other one soon,” Sister Barbara said. “We continue to be on schedule in spite of the rain and delay from the state for our necessary permitting.”

One villa will be a replica of the others currently on the campus. It will be 7,100-square feet in size, while offering homes to 10 elders ages 60 and older. There will be private bedrooms with full private baths centered around a large living room with a fireplace, open kitchen and dining room.

The second villa will be smaller in size and will house only eight people. It is intended to accommodate elderly people who are suffering from memory loss and dementia.

The plans called for the building to be 6,000-square feet in size. Dining room furnishings will accommodate four persons. In addition, plans call for gliders and rockers to be placed in the hearth and living areas.

Additional features in the smaller building will include murals and a large patio and garden area equipped with resting stations and more.

The smaller building will have a staff-to-elder ratio of 1-to-2.

For more information on PSSM or to help with the current campaign, call 812-951-1878 or email sbarbara@pssmsi.org.