by Sylene Argent
The building permits are in, the design is ready to go, and now, thanks to an official ceremony held on Saturday, the ground has been broken to signify the start of construction for the first Murchadha House.
This special home is being built on Fox Street in Cottam to provide non-profit residential accommodation for individuals with exceptional needs, so that the four youth who will live there, once it is built, may be able to live as independently as possible.
Volunteers with Murchadha House have been fundraising and forming partnerships for quite some time to get the first housing project launched. It is hoped construction will officially begin within the next several weeks on the home that will be fully handicapped accessible for youth with exceptional needs who require support in their daily living.
During the ceremony, Murchadha House’s Board of Director President, Sandy Murphy, noted there is an up to 25-year waiting list for adults living with exceptional needs to move into a home, which is why she and a group of dedicated volunteers got involved with Murchadha House.
“That is unacceptable. We want to decrease that long waiting list,” she said.
“At Murchadha House, we believe that the exceptional people of Essex County deserve to live as independently as possible within their community. They deserve to move out of their parents’ home. But they can’t live on their own. They need to have someone there to help them with their daily tasks,” Murphy said of those who will benefit from this house.
Though Murchadha House will try to continue to build homes for those with exceptional needs, one at a time to help alleviate the housing shortage, donations are needed. To help fundraise, a buy-a-brick campaign has been launched.
Essex MPP Taras Natyshak, Kingsville Mayor Nelson Santos, MP Tracey Ramsey, Windsor-West MPP Lisa Gretzky, and County Warden Gary McNamara all brought greetings to the event and commented on the significance of the project.
In addition, McNamara announced he would donate $1000 from his charitable golf tournament proceeds to the initiative.
The plan is to have youth occupants to remain in the house as they mature into adults.
As a mother of a child with exceptional needs, Murphy saw the need to get involved with such an organization.
Those who would like to donate or want to learn more about the project, can do so by logging onto murchadhahouse.ca. Murchadha House also has a Facebook page.
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