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The Story of Nithview CommunityMission/ValuesIt is the Mission of the Nithview Community to care for seniors in an environment where the well being of the resident has priority. We believe that our mission can be best achieved by operating our Home in a way that reflects Christian values as understood by the churches that form our sponsoring constituency. We believe that meeting basic human needs for adequate food, clothing and security as well as the requirements for physical and mental health are essential in sustaining the dignity and self-respect of our residents. We believe that our mission requires that Nithview residents live in pleasant surroundings and have opportunities for reflective meditation, corporate worship, social interaction and recreational activities.HistoryIn 1967, the Western Ontario Mennonite Conference appointed a study committee to investigate the possibilities of building a new Home for the Aged and sell its Nursing Homes located in Tavistock and Milverton. By 1968, delegates had decided to locate the new home in New Hamburg under a completely new charter. Tri-County Mennonite Homes (TCMH) was born and today it continues to own and operate Nithview Community and Greenwood Court (two seniors’ continuum of care homes) and Aldaview Services (a program supporting developmentally disabled adults). While TCMH has grown significantly over the last 35 years, its growth has not always been easy. Many of its expansion projects required much perseverance, patience and stamina to get underway. Overcoming obstacles and roadblocks almost seemed to be the norm rather than an occasional occurrence. However, the strength of the original vision and the encouragement of its member constituency seemed to provide the required energy for the Board and Administration to push forward to accomplish its goals. On April 2, 1972, Nithview Home admitted its first residents and began the journey to its current status as a Continuum of Care Home providing accommodation and programs to more than 260 residents living in garden homes, apartments, assisted and supported living suites and long-term care rooms. Over the years, more than 5 major construction projects and renovations have been undertaken, with the most recent one being completed in 2004. In recognition of the variety of programming and accommodation options now available, Nithview Home and Seniors’ Village have been renamed Nithview Community. Some of the early plans of the Board took different directions when obstacles were encountered. The Milverton home, slated to be sold when Nithview was built, continued to be operated by TCMH until 1994. After an attempt to sell the Milverton home and a number of attempts to acquire more beds and reconstruct the home failed, an invitation to move Milverton’s beds to Stratford and build a new complex there brought new hope for a solution to a difficult situation. News that TCMH might build in Stratford prompted the Avon Mennonite Church to initiate a meeting to inquire whether TCMH might be interested in a joint project that would include the Avon Church as a partner. In 1994 that partnership became a reality. Greenwood Court opened its doors to a continuum of care that included long-term care beds, assisted living units, and life lease and rental apartment suites and Avon Mennonite Church welcomed its members to a new place of worship at the same location. Avon and Greenwood operate in the same building with each entity having its own space and the two organizations sharing an auditorium, auxiliary kitchen, community room and other meeting rooms. Discussions between TCMH and the Church Conference Mission Board to open a “Retarded Children’s Day Care Centre” led to the completion of a group home for ‘retarded children” in 1979. The new home, located on the same site as the Nithview Seniors’ Village, was named Aldaview. In 1984, Aldaview rented a house located on Waterloo St. in New Hamburg from the Lions’ Club and welcomed 6 new adult residents into that home. Further expansion in 1990 welcomed tenants into the first Supported Independent Living (SIL) apartments. In 1994, the TCMH Board received approval to change the children’s home to an adult home, making the entire Aldaview operation a program for adults. Over the years, Aldaview has rented numerous buildings to expand its services to developmentally disabled adults. In 2004, the New Hamburg Lions Club donated 140 Waterloo St. and a vacant lot to Aldaview. This donation was the catalyst to build the Riehl House on Hillcrest Ave. The Riehl House, specifically designed for 4 residents, was officially opened in 2005. More recently, a house at 70 Ritz Ave. in New Hamburg was purchased to provide additional accommodation for individuals. Although Tri-County Mennonite Homes is the legal entity under which all of the divisions have operated since 1968, it wasn’t until 1989 that the TCMH Board appointed an Executive Director to lead the organization and develop a corporate office. As the organization grew, the responsibilities of the TCMH corporate office expanded. Today, the TCMH corporate office provides support to its divisions in several areas including, human resources, accounting, development, capital expansion, information technology, and strategic planning. In 2003 - 2004 The TCMH Board and administration created a new logo for the organization and developed a new mission statement and statement of values. The Mission Statement reads: “Rooted in faith, Tri-County Mennonite Homes provides leadership in service to seniors and developmentally disabled adults by dedicated staff and volunteers” Privacy StatementIt is understood we hold a significant amount of personal information about our residents, clients, families and staff. We respect the resident, client, family and staff's right to privacy. Information is only shared with other Health Information Custodians for the purpose of providing appropriate care. No other private information will be shared without the explicit consent of the person. Any questions or concerns regarding the information we hold or how it is shared can be directed to Robert Veitch, Chief Executive Officer or the Executive Director of each division.Annual ReportClick Here to view video - Staff Leading Our Success - presented at our Annual meeting 2006. Click here for our Annual Report. |