Encore Electric Donates Time and Support to Colorado Springs’ New Woody and Millie Ingram Guest House
October 25, 2023 – Lakewood, CO — Just beyond St. Francis Hospital in the heart of Colorado Springs stands a beacon of hope and respite, known as the Woody and Millie Ingram Guest House. The Woody and Millie Ingram Guest House built by Encore Electric embraces families who have traveled long journeys to find healing in the Southern Colorado city. This structure is more than just a building; it’s a haven where families can find a tender embrace amidst the storm of medical trials that they or their cherished ones endure.
St. Francis Hospital is one of Colorado Springs’ best, equipped with state-of-the-art technology to support a leading-edge emergency department, birth center, and cancer center that patients can find at few other hospitals. The Woody and Millie Ingram Guest House gives families traveling over 45 miles to receive this care a sense of relief, knowing they will have a home away from home on the hospital campus to support their loved one.
“On a project like this, knowing what you’re building and who you’re building it for is really special,” said Jeremy Buker, superintendent. “We knew what we were building would impact all of these families. It’s really been special to be part of.”
Run by volunteers, The Guest House was designed to be a homey oasis for families to rest near their loved one receiving care. Each of the 25 suites in the home include private bedrooms, bathrooms, and living rooms for guests to unwind during their stay. The main living space of the home has a lobby, playroom, kitchen, and dining area. On the grounds of the house there is an outdoor patio and firepit for families to relax in their temporary residence with Pikes Peak in the backyard. The home’s many communal spaces were designed to bring the comforts of home to visitors, while also serving as spaces where guests can connect with families experiencing similar health related hardships.
Encore Electric contributed lighting control, fire alarm, one line for the main living spaces of the building, and the main power feeding the building. Other electrical contractors contributed electrical work to power individual suites in the Guest House.
More than 100 contractors throughout Colorado donated their time, skills, and materials to build this $7 million home for visitors. HBA Cares, a Colorado Springs non-profit that supports housing and community-related construction needs in the area, led the project and coordinated the work of the many project partners that came together to make the Ingram Guest House possible.
“The contributions made to this project directly impacts community members in need by giving them a physical place to stay when needed and funding the continued operation of this house,” said Josh Peterson, Chief Operations Officer of Vanguard Homes. “Everyone working on this project has had a family member, friend, or they themselves have experienced a health-related scare where they could have used a resource like the Woody and Millie Ingram Guest House. Its powerful for everyone working on this project to know the impact that their work is going to have on people.”
At Encore Electric we care for our people, and they care for the communities where we live and work. The Woody and Millie Ingram Guest House was a special project for our teams to be involved in, giving them the opportunity to build a home that could someday house their neighbors, friends, or their own families.
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