Mar 18, 2009
The Wasie Foundation - Jones Harrison Residence
Examples of philanthropy’s results
In 1966, Minneapolis trucking pioneer Stanley Wasie, a Polish immigrant, established a foundation that has helped individuals overcome barriers and has facilitated a spirit of self-reliance in the community for close to 40 years. Today, as an active member of Minnesota’s philanthropic community, The Wasie Foundation works in close partnership with a variety of community organizations.
The Wasie Foundation has had a long relationship with the Jones-Harrison Residence (JHR), a long-term care facility based in Minneapolis that has been serving the elderly community since 1888.
Recently, the Wasie Foundation helped JHR establish an arthritis program tailored to the needs of elderly residents. While most people residing in long term care have some form of arthritis, there were no programs designed specifically for this population.
Arthritis often limits the ability to perform daily activities, sometimes causing a loss of independence.
JHR wanted to develop a program that would help people with arthritis feel better through improving strength and mobility. Thus, JHR developed individualized exercise regimens, aimed at warding off the pain of arthritis by promoting good joint health, for many of it’s residents.
In the year 2000, The Wasie Foundation gave two handsome grants to Jones-Harrison: one in the amount of $500,000 that was paid in full last year and the other a $1 million grant payable over five years. Funding from each grant went to the JHR’s arthritis programming. A significant portion of this money went to new, senior-friendly exercise equipment that automatically adjusts to fit the needs of the Jones-Harrison residents.
In addition to exercise equipment, grants from The Wasie Foundation provided adaptive devices to help elderly residents feel more empowered in their everyday lives. Adaptive devices may allow someone to comb their own hair or to eat without assistance. These may seem like small accomplishments to some; however, the ability of an arthritic JHR resident to perform everyday activities, assistance-free, is worth a great deal.
As a result of the personalized workout regimens and state-of-the-art exercise equipment, many residents at Jones-Harrison have been revitalized. Upper and lower body strength has improved for many residents, and no story is more inspiring than that of 101-year-old Helen Gresham. Helen walks every day, uses the weight training equipment, rides a recumbent bicycle and swims a few days each week. Helen’s family has noted great physical improvements over the past few years while she’s lived at Jones-Harrison.
The Wasie Foundation supports five key areas - education for students of Polish ancestry, programs and services for people living with schizophrenia, arthritis, cancer, and for programs serving children with medical problems. In addition to The Wasie Foundation’s work with the Jones-Harrison Residence, tens of millions of dollars in grants have been distributed for charitable intentions.