Published: July 21, 2008 04:00 am         

Pathfinder gets $100,000 to help pay for projects

A $100,000 state grant will go toward $1.25 million in renovations and improvements to two residences at Pathfinder Village in Edmeston, officials said Thursday.

The award was announced at the community's campus by state Sen. James Seward, R-Milford, who was joined by Pathfinder Village President and Chief Executive Officer Edward A. Shafer, directors and staff. The funding is from the state's capital program for economic assistance and will be administered by the state Dormitory Authority.

Pathfinder Village is a private, residential community devoted to supporting men, women and children who have Down syndrome.

"The funding will make a material difference in the lives of residents and produce economic benefits for the area," Seward said in a prepared statement.

The residential repairs and upgrades, estimated to cost $100,000, will target the first residential areas built at Pathfinder more than 25 years ago, when they accommodated 60 residents, according to a media release. With 80 residents in the homes, more space is needed, and the funding will pay for additions on two of the nine dwellings, officials said, and assure a single room for each resident of the targeted homes.

"The residential homes of the Village set the stage' for our very successful programs in education, employment, recreation and socialization for the residents,'' Shafer said. ``Through the addition of private bedrooms and apartments, we will be able to offer the residents living spaces that are more in-keeping with today's expectations."

The upgrades are part of an overall $1.25 million investment in the campus's infrastructure during the next four years that will add space to the Village's 10 homes. The balance of funding will be drawn from fundraising and state Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities assistance.

Seward noted that Pathfinder Village has 185 employees, of which 130 are full-time, and an annual payroll of $4 million. He said construction will result in additional jobs and local purchases.