The NorthBay Adult Day center now has an inviting addition - a porch with a screen to defeat summer's heat or winter's chill - thanks to a generous donation from the estate of Oretta Cortland, a long-time NorthBay Guild volunteer who passed away in 2009.
In honor of Oretta's donation, a plaque was unveiled at the Adult Day Center recently, during a reception attended by a number of program participants and Alzheimer Resource and Adult Day Center volunteers, and NorthBay Healthcare Foundation board members.
Part of Oretta's bequeath was used to establish a permanent endowment fund of $10,000, noted Brett Johnson, NorthBay Healthcare Foundation president. The balance of the donation was then allocated to the NorthBay Adult Day Center, to be used for the benefit of program participants. Sandy Perez, program manager, used a portion of those funds to construct the screened porch, and it instantly became a popular spot with program participants, she notes. "Many in the generation we serve find comfort here, because porches hold many fond memories from back in the day."
"The Adult Day Center fills a need that would not otherwise exist, and donations like this allow them to continue to provide the service," noted Tina Benedict, Foundation board member and long-time Adult Day Center supporter. "The porch is beautiful, and it's an honor to pay tribute to Oretta this way."
