New Building Projects Nearly Complete

Gemeinschaft Home Residents will soon have a workout room, made possible by the 2020 Vision for the Future Fundraising Campaign, and a covered sitting area with connected walkway.

Routine maintenance and repairs are just part of life at Gemeinschaft Home, but recent construction will soon bring a needed asset to the home—a workout room. Until this past summer, the only onsite exercise options residents had were a few benches and free-weight sets, kept outside on the back porch. During the warmer months, residents often used the equipment, but in the colder seasons, the weather made working out unbearable for most people.

Yet, having a place to work out and doing so regularly—whether with free weights or other means—is a practice that many individuals pick up  while incarcerated and wish to continue. Regular exercise provides both physical and mental wellness, and the opportunity to work out should be a necessary part of residents’ experience at
Gemeinschaft Home, too.

With funds raised so far in the 2020 Vision for the Future campaign, we broke ground on a new workout room this past summer, and we are in the final stages of completing the construction portion of the project this month. We are currently still raising funds and searching for commercial-grade workout machines (treadmill, bicycle, etc.), rubber mat flooring, as well as for updating the free-weight benches and equipment.

The new room is an addition to the back of the main house, created by closing in the existing porch area, where the exercise equipment was already located. The project included demolishing an existing retaining wall and constructing a new one that serves as the exterior wall for the workout room.

The former porch also served as an outdoor sitting area with benches and a picnic table; these items were moved further back into the yard, placed onto a concrete base (with connecting walkway), and covered by a gazebo. The flooring in two other areas, the back hallway and the Blosser Lounge, are also being overhauled, with new sub-flooring and high-traffic carpeting.

We are grateful to the individuals who provided time, labor, and services, including: Russ Leinbach (including contributions from the builder’s guild), Sam Miller, John Butler, Mark Capps, Phil Blosser, Moss Construction, and David Stenson Construction.

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