It seems like just yesterday Lillian Burfeindt was getting ready to move into the Meadow View Manor in Avon. That was in 2014, and by that time she had been living by herself for more than a decade after the death of her husband, Wally.

“It was time to make a change,” she said during a recent phone interview.

Burfeindt says it was the right move. Now 95, she no longer has to worry about shoveling snow, mowing, paying property taxes or homeowners insurance, or the myriad other things that come with maintaining a two-story house and three lots.

“I tell you it’s like I have nothing to do,” she said with a chuckle.

That’s not strictly true, however. Burfeindt still sews prolifically: towels, embroidered dish towels by the dozen, pot holders and place mats, and quilt tops. She appreciates the quality of living in the Meadow View Manor apartments, where she can get her mail and have her groceries delivered any time she’d like.

“I’m very happy here,” she said.

There is just one thing that could use an update: the bathrooms. Instead of walk-in showers, the rooms have bathtubs.

For Burfeindt, that’s a problem. She can’t step over the bathtub into the shower without losing her balance. On Tuesdays and Fridays, someone visits to help her shower and clean. But during last year’s COVID-19 quarantine, she was on her own.

She’s quick to point out that this isn’t about her, however. Her neighbors face similar problems, and more accessible bathrooms would benefit them, as well.

Laurie Jurrens, business manager of the apartments, agrees. Jurrens has been business manager of the manor since 2010, when she took over from her father. The bathrooms have had only minor updates in the last 40 years, and accessibility has advanced since the ‘80s. But bathroom renovations are expensive, and funding is an issue.

To kickstart fundraising efforts, the Women’s Mission Fellowship group of Danzig Baptist Church is hosting a soup and sandwich meal (plus a cookie). They’ll serve meals from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 31 in the east kitchen at the manor. Freewill donations will go toward the bathroom updates.

If people want to order carryout, they can call or text Cheryl DenOuden at 605-491-0545 on Oct. 31, and someone will take the order to their car. Jurrens said there will also be tours of the building that day.

DenOuden, who is treasurer and co-leader of the Women’s Mission Fellowship, said it’s a cause near and dear to her heart. (Disclosure: Cheryl DenOuden is my mother.) A retired RN, DenOuden spent more than 30 years working in area nursing homes.

“We’re doing this for our grandmas and grandpas,” she said.

‘It’s a wonderful place to live’

Often referred to simply as “the manor” by Avon residents, Meadow View Manor apartments were built in 1980, according to Jurrens. Eight years later, a few more apartments and the east kitchen were added, for a total of 16 apartments.

Twelve of the apartments are subsidized through the South Dakota arm of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as low-income senior housing; USDA Rural Development subsidizes the other four. People are eligible to move in at age 62, Jurrens said, though most of the manor’s residents are over the age of 90.

Only half of the apartments are currently occupied, which Jurrens said puts a strain on the finances. Aside from her, the only full-time employee is a maintenance/janitor position.

Community groups and family gatherings can also rent out the community spaces in the manor. Jurrens said a senior citizens group and a Ladies Auxiliary meet there regularly. Class reunions during homecoming are common, as are family events — birthday parties, holiday gatherings, etc. Dakota Senior Meals rents the space to cook meals and distribute them to people at their homes. It costs $50 to rent the space.

When the schedule is full, it’s a small way to bolster finances. But last year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jurrens said no one rented it.

While the bathroom renovation plans are still in the early stages, Jurrens said the main focus is tearing out the bathtubs and replacing them with more accessible options. That could mean a walk-in shower, or a fully handicapped-accessible shower wide enough to drive a wheelchair into.

Aging plumbing also needs to be addressed, and more aesthetic updates, like new countertops, could freshen up the rooms. Jurrens hopes the updates will draw more people to the apartments, a community she wants to see thrive.

“It’s a wonderful place to live,” she said.

Sharon Brandt is secretary of the Women’s Mission Fellowship group at Danzig Baptist Church and helping to coordinate the fundraiser. She first became aware of the need for renovated bathrooms through Burfeindt. Brandt, whose dad was a first cousin of Burfeindt’s, visits and corresponds with Burfeindt regularly, and was surprised to learn there weren’t handicapped accessible showers.

Brandt started talking to other people at Danzig Baptist about ways to help the manor. When she approached Jurrens, the subject of updated bathrooms and showers came up again.

While they don’t have an official estimate, Brandt and Jurrens have heard anywhere from $3,000 to $6,000 per room. At $6,000, that’s a total of $96,000 to renovate each room in the manor.

They hope their Oct. 31 fundraiser is just the beginning. They’d like to see other community groups join the effort, and are pursuing grant funds.

“We’re just going to keep digging and searching,” Brandt said.