The first home of the Little Sisters of the Poor opened in NW Ohio in 1885. Since this was 25 years before the establishment of the Diocese of Toledo, it was the Archbishop of Cleveland that invited the Little Sisters to establish a home and to work serving the elderly poor in what was then known as East Toledo. This small home was located on Front and Platt Streets and was deemed a temporary dwelling, to be used while a newer home was being constructed on Starr Avenue.
In 1887 the new Sacred Heart Home opened on Starr Avenue and stayed in daily operation for 82 years. The Home was a neighborhood landmark that had four stories and was constructed from limestone. This Home served thousands of needy aged Residents up until the late 1960’s when it was decided a newer facility was needed.
In 1967 land was secured on Navarre Avenue and South Wynn Road and a new facility was constructed and opened in 1969. This expansive one-story facility was located on 44 acres with beautiful grounds. For the next 35 years, this building served the needs of the elderly poor until it too was deemed in need of major renovation. After a thorough analysis of the building, it was decided that constructing a new structure was more cost effective than renovating the old one. So in 2004, the present Sacred Heart Home was constructed on the same property as the existing Home.
The new Sacred Heart Home is truly a state of the art facility that was designed for 75 full-time residents. The new Home offers three levels of care; independent living apartments assisted living rooms and fully skilled nursing rooms. This new Home would not have been possible without the generous support of the community that donated the majority of funds needed for construction. The new building, harkening back to the older Starr Avenue one, is a three-story facility. It offers many amenities such as recreation rooms, common visiting lounges, a hobby center, in-house beauty parlor, and a physical therapy center. At the center of the building is the “Cloister” in which stands the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue. Christ is the center of all that happens within the Home.
From very humble beginnings in 1885 until today, we have never wavered in our desire to humbly and joyfully live the charism of our Foundress, Saint Jeanne Jugan, who said: “Never forget that the poor are Our Lord.”
For more information about Saint Jeanne Jugan and the work of the Little Sisters of the Poor, click here.
