The brick house on tree-lined Meyers Avenue in the heart of Colorado Springs is one Patricia Mennit knows well.

It was her mother's house, and for 18 years Mennit and her mother were next-door neighbors.

When her mother died more than a decade ago, she left the house to Mennit. Mennit rented it out, but always had the idea she might do something more with it, an idea her mother had nurtured.

"Before she died, we had a lot of time to sit and talk," Mennit said. "She told me, ‘Patty, you're going to do something good with this house. You should take care of people.'" [ full story ]

Read the Gazette article by Bill Radford that profiled Companion Cottage and resident director Patricia Mennit in October 2008, along with a recent testimonial from a current client, reprinted below.

I'm glad we found you. Yours is the kind of day care I have been seeking for Joanne.

Joanne had been attending day care for more than four years before coming to Companion Cottage. Our other providers seemed, at times, a bit chaotic and over-crowded. Joanne now enjoys your comfortable and pleasant surroundings with a few other guests who can get to know each other. She gets much individual attention from you and enjoys the activities. She is proud of the beaded articles and other things she makes. She also enjoys the lunches you serve.

I am comfortable knowing she is getting the best of care during the hours she is away from me and that she is enjoying her time to the fullest.

Thanks for being there for us,
Ed Baker