The lofty $1 million goal to help stave off a possible sale of Miracle Hill Nursing and Rehabilitation Center hasn’t been reached.
A special committee, made up of several members of the Primitive Baptist Church and others, raised more than $102,000 by mid-August and set a Sept. 20 target goal date.
At this point, fundraising continues without a disclosed deadline.
Rev. Ernest Ferrell, pastor at St. Mary Primitive Baptist Church in Tallahassee, chairs the committee of religious leaders based in Tallahassee and throughout the state. When asked how much has been raised, Ferrell declined to comment.
He instead issued a one-page statement saying that the community would “be surprised” when they decide to announce the total.
“When the kick-off fund drive started with an amazing one hundred thousand dollars in pledges and cash, we knew that the campaign fund was well on its way. We are still receiving funds and are encouraging all of our Primitive Baptist Churches and supporting members from across the country who have not sent in their $1,000 donations or pledges to please send it in immediately. We will reach our goals when everyone pitches in and helps.”
Background:Miracle Hill Nursing, Rehab Center facing financial turmoil amid potential sale
History celebrated:Through it all, Miracle Hill celebrates 50-year anniversary with eye to the future
Uncertainty surrounding fundraising efforts and the potential sale of the 120-bed facility points to clear division among the leadership within the Primitive Baptist Church and Miracle Hill.
While committee members say fundraising efforts will make a difference in Miracle Hill’s fate, some disagree.
The facility is governed by the Florida State Primitive Baptist Church Convention, a coalition of churches and pastors around the state headed by its own board of directors.
Rev. Willie Williams, the convention’s state president, described accounts made by the committee as “grossly inaccurate” and offered only scant responses regarding the state of Miracle Hill.
In a recent email to the Tallahassee Democrat, Williams was asked about the status of the facility sale. He responded with one line: “The nursing home is not sold and still struggles to operate.”
For many, Miracle Hill’s uncertain future is unsettling considering its decades-long history.
Miracle Hill’s legacy stretches back to the late 1960s when it provided a nursing facility for aging Black men and women during the Jim Crow era. The 120-bed facility is revered by many and seen as a historic institution among nursing homes.
However, its financial foundation has been shaken over the years when its board struggled to meet daily operation expenses, including payroll.
News of Miracle Hill’s recent financial struggles came to a head a few months ago when the Williams called an emergency meeting where he alerted members of a need to pay $150,000 that day to make payroll and a $12 million offer to purchase the 15,000 square-foot facility.
During Wednesday’s City Commission meeting, Commissioner Dianne Williams-Cox requested the city staff meet with potential stakeholders regarding potential financial assistance through the city’s Neighborhood First Plan since Miracle Hill is located in Griffin Heights.
“If there’s anything that we can do to help make that a better situation, or if we just need to just leave it be,” she said, speaking to the City Manager Reese Goad. “I’d like to ask your office if you could maybe schedule a meeting. I’d like to attend, and I can indicate who the people are I think, based on conversations that I’ve had, we need to be involved.”
Goad indicated he’d direct his staff to conduct a meeting, adding there are limitations to funding associated with the Neighborhood First Plan.
“At the end of the day, that’s a business with a lot of limitations in order to do that, but I do think there could be some uniqueness and that the Neighborhood First Plan exists,” Goad said. “The neighbors of that Neighborhood First Plan have some discretion.”
Contact TaMaryn Waters at tlwaters@tallahassee.com or follow @TaMarynWaters on Twitter.
