A little oasis

For 24 years, Jane Banfield has been donating $1,000 every year to Banfield Pavilion, the residential care facility named after her grandfather.

Each year, the money has gone towards a project that would benefit the 156 residents who call the pavilion their home. This year, Jane’s annual donation will be going towards re-energizing the small library located on the main floor.

Occupational therapist Jason Thorne is a liaison between the Banfield leadership team and the residents who are leading the project.

“What’s really exciting is that this is driven by the residents and they’re really passionate about it,” Jason tells me. “This is going to give them a space to relax and read. It’ll be a space to learn and socialize with friends and visitors.”

The money will buy new furniture, bookshelves and e-readers for the space (eventually, they plan on getting computers as well). Jason and the residents will also use this opportunity to organize the current books so residents will have an easier time finding what they want.

“The library will be more organized so residents can go look for books,” says resident services manager Sharon Galloway. “It will be a nice calm space for some reading, to relax. There aren’t many spaces at Banfield to do that.”

In addition to improving what the library has to offer, they also plan on making it easier for residents to access the space and its amenities.

“We have library right now that’s not very functional and not being used by residents,” he says. “We want to make it more useable and more accessible to wheelchairs.”

“It’ll be a little oasis, a chance to get away.”