SOAR! grant gives Sisters a lift

Thanks to a 2015 grant from SOAR!, the Benedictine Sisters of St. Paul’s Monastery in St. Paul, Minnesota were able to purchase equipment to help aging Sisters stand safely and securely.

Ten Sisters live in the healthcare center at the Monastery and some require assistance getting out of bed or standing up from a chair. The new Smart Stand helps staff assist the Sisters while preserving their dignity.

When the Benedictine Sisters of St. Paul’s Monastery built a new Monastery in 2009, the Sisters carefully considered the care of their elderly sisters; they made a commitment then to keep all Sisters at home in the Monastery and care for them until their death. The healthcare center they built on the ground floor became an integral part of the building.

The staff and Sisters there said they are ecstatic about the new equipment.

The Sisters said they appreciate “how comfortable and easy it is to transfer from bed to chair.” The staff, meanwhile, said they are “happy with the increased safety it provides as well as less strain on our backs.” The equipment is durable, the Sisters said, and will increase in usefulness as more Sisters enter the age when personal assistance is needed. The Smart Stand helps the community better honor its commitment to its elder Sisters who require assistance.

Thanks to our donors, SOAR! awarded 61 grants totaling $1.1 million in 2015. Your support brings peace of mind to our aging religious in need.