Gathering Place Conversion Project

Wes Brun Family Dedication

Dear Nardin Park Friends:

Thank you for your on-going prayers and support for Nardin Park United Methodist Church and Samaritan Counseling Center. Both have become even more important to us and our community as we live through this pandemic. Not surprisingly, the need for Samaritan’s services continues to grow throughout Southeastern Michigan. Samaritan now has 21 therapists and 12 satellite offices.

The Gathering Place Office Conversion Project addresses Samaritan’s need for more office space for their therapists. As many of you know, the Sisters of Mercy recently closed their convent on West Eleven Mile Road in Farmington Hills. Within their facility was office space for Samaritan therapists. As Samaritan emerges from its telehealth model when safe, they are in need of space to replace these offices.

Nardin Park is also dealing with changes to its facility as well. The pandemic has shown a change and a reduction in the need for physical meeting space as Zoom and other technologies have emerged as acceptable ways to meet as groups and committees.

The Gathering Place is meeting space in the southern corridor of Nardin Park, near the Samaritan office. It is the least used and most distant of the meeting rooms in our church.

A plan to convert the Gathering Place into two therapist offices and a small waiting area will give Samaritan needed space and way for Nardin Park to repurpose a little used meeting room. Both the Leadership Board of Nardin Park and the Samaritan Counseling Center Board of Directors have approved this conversion of the Gathering Place. Plans have been drawn up and a contractor has been hired. Nardin Park’s portion of this project is $10,600.

We have been in contact with the family of Wes Brun and they are very excited about the possibility of placing a dedication in this new space to honor Wes. While we are not asking you to donate in Wes’ memory for this project, this family dedication will add to the importance of this conversion. Wes was the first Executive Director of Samaritan and a beloved member of Nardin Park. His role as therapist, minister, teacher, mentor and friend has touched so many lives, including ours. As we recently passed the first anniversary of his death, we mourn the loss of his wisdom, compassion, guidance and humor. Creating space for therapists to heal the broken is a wonderful memorial to Wes’ life and legacy.

Please consider a donation to this project that will greatly benefit both institutions; checks can be made to Nardin Park UMC with “Gathering Place office conversion” in the memo line. You can also contribute below and put Gathering Place Office Conversion under Special Offering. Both friends of Samaritan Counseling Center and Nardin Park will be asked to contribute to this important project. We ask that you prayerfully consider your gift to our request. Thank you for your time and attention to this request.

In Christ,

Robbie Hayes, Dorothy Moore, Marshall Dunlap, Sue Genschoreck and Jon Carey