News
Gifting the Sisters in Crucial Ways
The Sisters invite you to support them in crucial ways this holiday season! Below is a list of some of the Sisters’ needs – things the Sisters need that will help them to continue their work of serving others. There is something for everyone’s budget. These are REAL and NEEDED items that will make a difference in the Sisters’ lives.
Please consider giving to the Sisters during this holiday season. Thank you!
Opportunities to Help the Sisters of the Order of Saint Basil the Great
These are the most urgent special project needs of the Sisters of the Order of Saint Basil the Great. Please consider helping the Sisters with one or several of these needs. For all purchases and construction projects, we have estimates for each project and contractors ready to move forward upon receipt of funding.
- Help Feed the Sisters this Week. The Sisters don’t eat much, but food still costs a lot these days. Help feed a Sister this week. Cost: $10 a day, or $70 a week.
- Gas up the Sisters’ Cars. The Sisters use their cars to take elderly Sisters to doctors’ appointments, to go to teach in schools, and for other necessary errands. You can fill their cars with gas this week so that they can get to where they need to go. Cost: $15 a week for one car; $60 a month; $360 for six months; $720 for a year.
- Help Keep the Sisters Safe from Fire. A good fire warning system is a must in a building with elderly residents. The fire alarm ensures they will be warned in case of a fire, and automatically notifies the local fire department. Cost: $40 a week / $160 a month / $1,960 a year).
- Help the Sisters’ Have an Elevator in the Motherhouse. The Motherhouse is three stories tall and most of the Sisters are now at an age where they can’t do stairs. The 30-year-old Otis elevator is reliable but needs regular maintenance. Cost: $250 per week / $1,000 a month.
- Replace Windows to Save on Utilities and Preserve Building. The Motherhouse has 135 windows, all of which were installed in 1990. They are now 26 years old and served us beyond their expected lifespan. Today, many of the windows are cracked and no longer weathertight. They need to be repaired or replaced with something like an alside Denver type window to make them safe and energy efficient (the windows are insulated to protect against the elements and preserve indoor heating and cooling). Cost: $175 / window to repair ($23,625 in total); or $375 / window to replace ($50,625 in total) (includes labor and materials).
- Pavement Resurfacing. The driveway and pavement on the entire grounds has not been resurfaced in over 10 years. Doing so now, before any further deterioration, will allow us to preserve what remains of the prior surfacing and add a new top coat which will last for another 10 years. This is the most efficient, cost-savings solution for this need, but we have to move forward on this in the next six months to achieve this. Cost: $12,150.
- Paint Stucco Areas for Weatherproof and Preservation Purposes. You may have noticed that the ends of the Motherhouse have synthetic stucco finishes on the outside. While the stucco has been a cost-efficient solution for 25 years, cracks and holes are beginning to appear. For a relatively small amount, we can add a synthetic sealant over them to weatherproof them and double the stucco’s duration. Cost: $18,775.
- Sisters from Ukraine. We now have several Sisters from Ukraine assisting us. Some of them conduct Youth Ministry programs, and work with children and the elderly. Please help these Sisters during their stay in America by helping to pay their basic costs. Estimated cost: $32,000 (for four Sisters).
Thank you! May God bless you for your generosity to the Sisters!
Sisters of the Order of Saint Basil the Great
Jesus, Lover of Humanity Province
710 Fox Chase Road
Fox Chase Manor, PA 19046
Sister Dorothy Ann Busowski, OSBM, Provincial Superior
215 379-3998