August 6th, 2013 – It all started with a message to Safe Step Walk-In Tub Co. via its Facebook page: one short paragraph with two not-so-small requests from Crestview Manor in Crestview, Florida.
The first was for one of Safe Step’s walk-in tubs to bring comfort to 60 men and women of the low-income assisted living facility, whose residents include veterans, military widows and mentally challenged patients.
The second request was simple enough but not immediately in the company’s wheelhouse: toilet paper.
Shirley Perring, who sent the message to Safe Step, explained the residents’ plight: “The facility is old but well kept. The tub is dangerous and looks like something out of ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ and we knew there was a huge need for an upgrade. Further, the needs of the residents here are so basic. It includes something most people take for granted: toilet paper. So, I included it in my request.”
Mike Duffer, president, and owner of Nashville-based Safe Step Walk-In Tub Co. received the message and decided to do what he could to make the residents’ lives better. Through Safe Step Cares, the company’s nationwide program of giving, Duffer decided to donate two of his Nashville-based company’s state-of-the-art walk-in tubs, one for each floor of Crestview Manor. To top things off, Safe Step will provide “Toilet Paper for Life” for Crestview Manor.
“We’re a very blessed company and it’s a pleasure and a privilege to be able to make these life-changing donations,” said Duffer. “The second request took us by surprise but we decided to make toilet paper something that these deserving seniors never have to worry about again.”
Duffer, his wife Kathie, and several Safe Step executives traveled to Crestview, Florida to meet the residents recently. They treated them to a catered lunch, brought each resident a gift basket, and made the donation announcement in person.
“This is truly a miracle donation,” said Crestview Manor’s director Becky Brice-Nash. “Safe Step proved they really do care. It was a donation of a lifetime for some very special people, and beyond our wildest dreams.”
