Photo Flash: Annette Bening and Brian Stokes Mitchell Cut Ribbon on New Actors Fund Pavilion

The Actors Fund Home (155-175 West Hudson Avenue, Englewood, New Jersey), an acclaimed short-stay rehabilitation, assisted living, skilled nursing and memory care facility for the performing arts and entertainment community, celebrated the opening of The Samuel J. and Florence T. Friedman Pavilion at their facility in Englewood, New Jersey on Thursday, April 25, 2019. The ribbon-cutting event marked the completion of a capital campaign project to rebuild, expand and preserve The Actors Fund Home. The project was designed by Spiezle and built by C&C Construction and has added an additional 45 beds to the residence.

"The quality of care provided at The Actors Fund Home is the kind of care we all want for our loved ones, our colleagues and ourselves," stated The Actors Fund Chairman Brian Stokes Mitchell. "All of this was made possible by 81 donors who are recognized at The Home's entrance. And I'm honored to mention The Shubert Organization, led by Chairman Phil Smith and President Robert Wankel, as well as The Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman Foundation. Their generous gifts are reflected in these two beautiful pavilions that bookend our Home."

"This dedication is a true milestone for us. We're building on our history of providing vital programs and services that foster stability and resiliency and serve as a safety net to everyone who works in performing arts and entertainment," said Vice Chair of The Chairman's Council of The Actors Fund Annette Bening.

"We are extremely proud of our long relationship with The Actors Fund Home and this project in particular," said Spiezle Principal Architect Steve Leone. "We have no doubt this project will be a huge success in delivering positive outcomes."

"We're proud that our team's work on this project will improve the lives of hundreds of people who have dedicated their lives to performing arts and entertainment," said President of C&C Construction Vincent Celenza.

"The expansion and modernization of this Home will allow us to serve more people, in more ways, with continued compassion and excellence," said The Actors Fund President and CEO Joseph P. Benincasa.

The Samuel J. & Florence T. Friedman Pavilion at The Actors Fund Home, made possible by a lead gift from The Gerald J. & Dorothy R. Friedman Foundation, is a new two-story building that houses a 20 bed memory care unit and 7 assisted living beds as well as a new wellness center, an arts studio, a dining room, a bistro and a memory care garden. The memory care wing includes 16 individual studios and two larger studios for couples, and was designed specifically for seniors with mild to moderate dementia who are physically mobile but need enhanced programming and 24-hour supervised care and security. The wing allows maximum independence for residents, with spacious corridors, a private and secure sensory memory garden and other amenities that allow residents to thrive in a safe setting.

As previously announced, The Actors Fund Home opened The Shubert Pavilion in 2017. Made possible by a lead gift from The Shubert Organization, with major additional support from The Walt Disney Company and The Mackintosh Foundation, the addition houses a 25 bed short-stay rehabilitation center available to the general public and intended for people who are recovering from illness or surgery, as well as 14 assisted living beds. The facility also includes a fully equipped gym for physical, occupational and speech therapies. To prepare visitors for a safe return to their private homes, the rehabilitation center is outfitted with a full kitchen, bathroom and laundry facilities, as well as accessible gardens for residents.

Now fully open for residents, the project has added 25,000 square feet of new space and has incorporated the renovation of over 30,000 square feet of existing resident space to The Actors Fund Home, including additional new and reconstructed bedrooms, resident amenities and improved infrastructure.

Since 1882, The Actors Fund has been helping performing arts and entertainment professionals. In 1902, The Fund opened its first retirement home in Staten Island, New York which moved to Englewood, New Jersey in 1928. Today, The Actors Fund Home continues a tradition of care through its short-stay rehabilitation, assisted living, skilled nursing and memory care facility. The Actors Fund Home is a gold standard for senior care and a recipient of both U.S. News and World Report's coveted "Best Nursing Homes in America" as well as the highest rating of five stars from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

For more on The Actors Fund Home visit www.actorsfundhome.org.

Photo Credit: Jay Brady Photography

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