Colorado community rallies to save Casey's Pond Senior Living facility from being sold
CBS News Colorado introduced you to a senior living community that is looking for a buyer after its owners went into receivership. A new owner could purchase the building and evict all the senior tenants living there, but many in the community hope Casey's Pond will survive as a senior living facility.
It is one of the only senior living communities with its level of services for hundreds of miles around, and not only do the residents want to stay, but the employees also want to remain (and keep their jobs).
That's why some employees have said they plan to donate a portion of their wages to help the charitable fund that is working to raise enough money to buy the building themselves.
Graciela Gonzales, Yasmine Boroquez, Mara Santillan, and Patricia Gonzales are organizing their fellow employees to ensure Casey's Pond remains operational. They know that without this place, many seniors will have nowhere to go, as the housing market in the high country is very steep, and waitlists for other facilities reportedly range from three to five years.
"They also became a part of her family," Santillan translated for Boroquez after she explained how the residents treated her while she was pregnant. "They became her grandparents; they became something so beautiful."
Friday afternoon, the Yampa Valley Community Foundation released a statement asking the receiver in this case to delay the sale of the building in order to raise the $20 million needed to purchase the property.
The collaboration includes Christian Living Communities (CLC), the nonprofit manager of Casey's Pond; Yampa Valley Community Foundation; Yampa Valley Housing Authority; Northwest Colorado Health; Routt County; and the City of Steamboat Springs.
By delaying the sale, the collaboration hopes to secure enough funds in time to buy it themselves and keep it running as it is now.
If you are interested in helping to keep these seniors in their home, as well as more than 100 employees in their jobs, the webpage with the link to download is here.