Trillium Awards $2 Million for Respite Care Facility in Pender County

BURGAW, NC (WWAY) –A new facility aimed at providing respite care for children with disabilities and their families is under construction in Pender County.

Henry’s House, located on Progress Drive in Burgaw, is a joint project between Easterseals PORT Health and Trillium Health Resources. On Wednesday, Trillium presented a $2 million check to support the completion of the facility’s renovations.

“Everything that Trillium makes and saves we reinvest into the community, and this is just one of many of our reinvestments,” said Cindy Ehlers, chief of strategy and innovation at Trillium Health Resources.

The facility is designed to provide short-term, overnight care for children ages 8 to 18 with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism, and traumatic brain injury.

 “Have a place their kid can come and have a great time while mom and dad or grandma take a break from that caregiving role so that the whole family stays healthy,” Ehlers said.

The site will include two buildings on three acres — one for administrative use and one for residential care. The residential building will have six bedrooms, including one larger room to accommodate siblings.

“In the event that an individual comes for a stay and wants to bring a sibling, so we thought that any fears of staying away from the home from parents, from guardians — we kind of quash that by saying, ‘bring your sibling,’” said Conchetta Yonaidis, the soon-to-be director of Henry’s House.

Ehlers said the name “Henry’s House” honors a child whose care needs helped shape the program model.

“Henry is one of the most complex children that we serve, and for Easterseals PORT Health to serve Henry, they’ll be able to serve any child,” Ehlers said.

Construction is expected to be completed between mid-September and early October. While the facility will provide short-term stays, Trillium says it plans to sustain long-term support for families in Pender County and across the region.