PPh Reveals New Arts, Culture and Education Center & Gardens

A new hub of resident activity opens in Senior Living Community

(PHILADELPHIA, April 4, 2017) – The Philadelphia Protestant Home (PPh) celebrates the completion of its new Arts, Culture and Education (ACE) Center and Gardens with, “Living is an Art,” a grand-opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday April 20. The ACE Center is the culmination of a nearly year-long $2.5 million capital expansion project that included new construction and renovations to various other areas on the PPh campus.
The agenda for Living Is An Art includes a speaker program at 10 a.m. and a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:30 a.m. in the ACE Center lobby, which will be simulcast live for viewing by residents, staff and guests in the PPh Social Hall and broadcast on Facebook Live for the community. PPh will host an open house with tours, demonstrations and light refreshments from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.  PPh Chaplain the Rev. Dr. Jack Price will bless and dedicate the ACE Center, and speakers will include: Anthony Manzo, President and CEO; Richard Soltan, Esq., Chairman of the Board of Directors; David Hughes, Vice President of Operations; Mary Ann Parisse, Vice President of Resident Services and Personal Care; and Ronald Hugo, Independent Living Resident Council member who will have the honor to cut the ribbon.

“What started off as a blueprint and a pile of debris has turned into the crown jewel of our campus and a milestone achievement in our long, prestigious and proud history,” said PPh President and CEO Anthony L. Manzo. “We are more than thrilled to unveil the new ACE Center and Gardens to our residents and the rest of the community we serve,” he said.

The 2,472-square-foot, three-story ACE Center serves as a main hub of activity and provides a supportive and social environment for PPh residents, allowing them to continue to grow and thrive as they advance in age.

 

Highlights of the capital expansion include:

  • New Library with large-print books, computers and learning resources
  • New Art Studio and Epicurean Glass Works
  • Fully integrated Wellness & Aquatic Center with heated indoor pool along with a private entrance and additional parking spaces for community guest members
  • Three state-of-the-art rooms for the PPh Chapters Memory Care Program to provide advanced care for residents afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of memory loss
  • A relocated and expanded Craft Room
  • New Fellowship Meeting Room for religious and other community groups
  • New ACE Gardens including a courtyard with a grateful donor Dedication Path, handicapped access, benches, tables, chairs and a pavilion
  • Retail and prescription drug Pharmacy (Opening late 2017), and
  • 824-square-foot environmentally friendly “green” rooftop above the ACE Center to help better manage storm water runoff.

“In our mission statement, when we say we give residents the ‘opportunity to achieve their highest quality of life,’ look no further for evidence of our steadfast commitment,” said Richard Soltan, Esq., Chair, PPh Board of Directors. “The ACE Center & Gardens bring something special to PPh residents. Every one of our residents has the opportunity to live life to the fullest and to make living a form of art,” Soltan said.

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The Philadelphia Protestant Home (PPh), founded in 1889, is a non-profit senior living community in Northeast Philadelphia, licensed by the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) and certified by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS).  Pathways Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best nursing homes in the country and continues to receive a five-star rating from CMS.  PPh is dedicated to service, excellence and the highest quality of senior living. PPh fosters a caring environment, promotes independence, advances individual dignity and respect, and encourages a sense of family.  PPh provides lifelong access to a full continuum of services to some 600 residents, including Independent Living, Personal Care, Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation, Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of Memory Care.

EDITOR’S NOTE

Media are invited to attend the ACE Center & Gardens Grand-Opening Celebration & Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony. Interview and photo/video opportunities are available. The speaker program begins at 10:00 a.m. and the ribbon-cutting ceremony at approximately 10:30 a.m. in the ACE Center with a light brunch to follow at 11 a.m. in the Social Hall. Open House tours and demonstrations will be available to the community from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.