Stewart Island Seniors Cottage Trust

Stewart Island's senior residents have few options to downsize whilst remaining in our small and caring community. Our Trust aims to build 6 cottages to address this so that our most senior, skilled and experienced people have the opportunity to remain here, rather than face the distress of being placed on a waiting list for care home facilities amongst strangers and elsewhere in Southland. Our seniors represent the best in a lifetime of diverse skills from engineering solutions to chairmanship of community organisations. Our small community can't afford to lose them and these skills. Meanwhile, either the current family homes in which they live are a burden - physically and financially, and those in rental accommodation are even more vulnerable. We propose to offer a comfortable future without the stress of financial burden to affect physical health and the shadow of unwanted change to affect mental health. Our build site is already purchased, on the "flat" at the centre of our community, close to all facilities and amenities; the plans are drawn; the builder is primed. All The Trust needs is the build fund, approx. $1.2m, of which which we already have over 10% promised or in hand. Getting old is a privilege, but "aging in place" in comfortable surroundings is important to our Seniors and to the rest of our community. Your help is so much appreciated to achieve our aims.