This winged bench sits outside the main entrance of the YWCA personal care facility on W. Jefferson St. which announced it was closing its doors and relocating patients on Aug. 9th.

Of the 31 residents of the YWCA personal care home, which is closing next week, 24 have been relocated.

Elizabeth Short, the Butler YWCA’s interim president and CEO, announced Aug. 9 that the personal care residence will close Sept. 24 due to rising care costs and stagnant or decreasing subsidies and pensions.

Immediately after the announcement of the closure, Beth Herold of the county Agency on Aging dug into the task of placing the elderly, mentally challenged or physically disabled residents in other facilities.

Short said Friday that so far, 24 residents have transitioned to new, safe living arrangements. The remaining residents, Short said, have individual plans to move to new locations before the closing date.

She said the atmosphere at the facility has been touching since the announcement of the closure.

“There have been heartfelt good-byes between the residents and staff,” Short said, “and this speaks to the compassionate care we’ve provided to our residents over our many years of operation.”

Short said the YWCA Montessori Preschool, Under Our Wing Independent Living and other YWCA outreach and programming will continue.

Find out the future of the staff and the space they are leaving behind in Sunday’s Butler Eagle.