A major donation is helping improve comfort and care for residents at Rosewood Lodge Personal Care Home.
Local donor Irv Koch has contributed $30,870 toward new furniture for resident rooms at the Stonewall personal care home, replacing dressers and nightstands that have been in use for more than 20 years.
The donation will help furnish 22 resident rooms with durable, health-care grade furniture designed to improve both quality of care and quality of life for residents. Staff said the existing furniture no longer met current infection prevention and control standards and was in urgent need of replacement.
For Koch, the donation is part of a long-standing desire to give back to the community and local health-care services that have helped him over the years.
Koch first met Averill Stephenson a few years ago after a visit to the Ashern Hospital emergency room for stomach pain. It turned out he needed emergency surgery and was sent to Selkirk for care. After that experience, Koch wanted to give back and made a donation to Ashern Hospital.
In recent years, he also supported the Sunshine and Peace Patio connected to the palliative care space at Stonewall Hospital.
When Stephenson reached out again to ask whether he could help Rosewood Lodge, Koch said he was happy to do so.
“If they need help, and I can help, I’m happy to do it,” he said. “Stonewall is my home community. I’ve been fortunate in life, and I believe when you can help, you should.”
Officials said the upgrades are about more than simply replacing furniture.
“For the residents who call Rosewood Lodge home, this is about comfort, dignity, safety and creating spaces that feel warm and welcoming for both residents and their families,” representatives noted in a statement.
Rosewood Lodge representatives said Koch’s continued generosity is helping ensure local care spaces remain compassionate, comfortable and community-focused.
