Are you interested in including Bishop Grady Villas in your year-end giving plans? Then have we got the project for you!

As a result of Hurricane Irma and the Hollywood Hills rehabilitation center tragedy where more than ten residents died due to heat-related ailments this past fall, Governor Rick Scott issued an emergency order for all nursing homes and assisted living facilities to install generators with enough fuel to power 96 hours of air conditioning at 80 degrees Fahrenheit to critical living areas.

After legal challenges, the administration has since introduced a new non-emergency rule, which would require installation of a generator by June 1, 2018.

Please note that this order has not yet been finalized and does require legislative approval. That said, due to lessons learned from Irma, we do feel it is in the best interest of those we serve to have generator back-up, regardless if the legislature ratifies the order or not.

This generator, which will keep our residents comfortable in Dorsey Hall in the event of an extended electrical outage, will cost $120,000, an expense not anticipated in this fiscal year’s budget.

Just as Christ brings light into our hearts this advent season, we ask you this holiday season to consider bringing light to Bishop Grady Villas in your year end giving plans. Any amount will make a difference to our bottom line and is deeply appreciated.

More than 550 people helped raise over $260,000 for the Bishop Grady Villas Scholarship Fund at this year’s Harvest Ball held October 21 ^st. Buoyed in large part by the 65 Bishop Moore Catholic High School student and staff volunteers, the Harvest Ball plays a critical role in helping to ensure our residents can continue to live and thrive at Bishop Grady Villas regardless of financial constraints.

Thank you to all of our auction donors, table sponsors, attendees, and volunteers for helping to make the Harvest Ball a success year after year!

For more information about how you can make a difference in the lives of our residents through scholarship support, please contact Laurel Hayward at (407) 892-6078.

Bishop Grady Villas received a prestigious grant from the Able Trust last spring to establish our first Project SEARCH site at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee. Project SEARCH is an international high school transition program that is a one year school-to-work program that takes place entirely in the workplace.

Total workplace immersion facilitates a seamless combination of classroom instruction, career exploration, and hands-on training through worksite rotations.

Our first class of eight interns completed their first rotation of internships in human resources, engineering, housekeeping, maintenance, special events, recreation, culinary/pastry, and horticulture in early November and are currently on their second of three rotations.

We ushered in the holiday season with a bang thanks to our wonderful partners at Give Kids the World, Central Florida Community Arts, and St. Thomas Aquinas Youth Group with an extravaganza of villa tours, a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus, performances by Give Kids the World and Central Florida Community Arts, Christmas cookie decorating, games, movies, karaoke, and of course, caroling.

The following day our eighth-grade friends from St. James Cathedral came and participated in arts and crafts, bingo, and a few community service projects around campus.

How blessed we are to have so many extraordinary partners and friends!