The Salem Foundation is on the homestretch of their major blinds renovation. The current blinds in the public spaces throughout the facility have been in use for nearly 25 years. With daily use, often being adjusted a number of times throughout the day, the vertical blinds are bent out of shape.

A seemingly small detail, Arlen Hildebrand, Salem Foundation Board Chair, says it improves the daily life of residents. "Many times we don't understand the impact of a small thing like a blind has on a resient until a change is made."

He notes one resident called a staff member to demonstrate to him how easy she found raising and lowering her blind. "What a gift the community has given to the residents."

This spring Salem Home Foundation undertook a $50,000 window blind replacement project to purchase cordless roller blinds. The new cordless blinds require less staff time to operate and less housekeeping time to clean.

So far, the foundation has installed new blinds in all residential rooms and now sets sights on a $30,000 goal to replace aging blinds in all public spaces within the facility.

The next fundraiser for the project, Faspa, Fellowship and Song, takes place September 23.