'It's now our turn to care for this building': Chicago's longest-running charity tees up to help its heritage home

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Chicago Fire. The Civil War. The COVID-19 Pandemic.

Illinois' longest running-charity survived it all.

Morning Insider Lauren Victory takes us inside the latest battle for the Chicago Scots: fundraising for much-needed renovations.

The "Scottish Home" is nestled between the trees in North Riverside and though the building sits thousands of miles from the homeland, honoring Scottish culture is an everyday affair.  

For example, the nursing home (which goes by the official name Caledonia Senior Living and Memory Care) offered live Scottish music by a Scottish fiddle player during lunch on Tuesday. 

"Of course, we welcome everyone who is Scottish by birth, heritage or simply by inclination," said Gus Noble, president of the Chicago Scots, the non-profit that runs the nursing home at the Scottish Home. Chicago Scots was founded in 1845 and bills itself as Illinois's oldest charity.

"Through the great Chicago Fire, this organization reached back through the City of Glasgow and the equivalent of a million pounds was given by the people of Glasgow to help Chicago rebuild," said Noble.

Now Chicago can return the favor.

"Everything that you can see with your eye needs to be replaced," said Noble, giving CBS 2 a tour of the Scottish Home's outdated carpets, paint, artwork and more. "Just as this building has cared for generations, it's now our turn to care for this building."

Renovations are happening piecemeal because money is tight. That's where the Kilted Classic Golf Tournament comes in.

"It's a great event to celebrate both of the intersections of this place and golf and Scotland," said Curtis Linder, a Chicago Scots volunteer who is working on the fundraiser as a tribute to his mother who lived at the Scottish Home for almost five years. "My favorite part about her care here was the activities."

Activity areas and dining rooms are eventually part of the upgrades. Some corridors and bathrooms already got a boost.

"Going all the way back to the Scottish Enlightenment, we've been unafraid to ask ourselves if what we've been inherited from yesterday right for tomorrow," said Noble of his nearly two-centuries-old organization that's on a mission to create a modern oasis.

The Chicago Scots already spent more than $2 million on updates that include a new roof, fire system and Wi-Fi. They said they need several millions more to finish the work they started.

The Kilted Classic Golf Tournament is scheduled for September 29. 

In:
• Chicago
• Scotland