Chanting and holding signs that read "save our home" and "don't put profits over people," Blocher Homes residents and caretakers alike came together Monday afternoon to protest the facilities uncertain future.
Protestors said they want answers about what's next for the nursing home after rumors surfaced in july that parent company Beechwood Continuing Care had sold the property to People Inc.
Residents and union workers feel like they are being kept in the dark about what that sale could mean for the future.
"There's nothing like Blocher. I get emotional. I don't want to leave," said 86-year-old Joyce Wilson.
"We're simply asking them guarantee that these workers that have been here for decades have a job that they can rely on after the sale happens," added 1199 SEIU Representative, Marshall Bertram.
In a statement, Beechwood said given the physical limitations of the current building and the financial losses experienced over the last four years, it plans to repurpose Blocher Homes. The statement goes onto say "every step of the way, Blocher Homes has shared and will continue to share the most current information available with neighbors, our residents, their families, and Blocher staff so that we can assist them in best preparing for new homes or continued employment opportunities should this repurposing initiative become a reality."
The project would need state and local approval. Beechwood said it isn't expected until the spring of 2020.
