The Mustard Seed Project celebrated its opening of the first assisted living residence for elders on the Key Peninsula November 12 after one year of construction and 16 of dreaming, planning, working and fundraising.

"A year ago, this ground around us was covered in Scotch broom and blackberry brambles," said Eric Blegen, executive director, in his opening remarks. "Now is when the real work begins. Soon, this building will be a village: The Mustard Seed Village."

The residence consists of three homes in a single longhouse situated on 5 acres across the street from TMSP office, called the Crandall Center, overlooking Key Center at 9016 154th Ave. Court NW. Each home will house 10 elders in private apartments with bathrooms and kitchenettes surrounding large common areas and full kitchens, with extensive gardens and trails outside. Nine rooms are reserved for low income elders, and one home will be dedicated to elders requiring memory care.

Edie Morgan founded The Mustard Seed Project in 2006 as a mission to help KP elders remain in their homes as long as possible with whatever volunteer assistance she could coordinate. But even with all of the other work, building a place for elders to live on the KP - Morgan's "audacious vision" - is what unified the project and its people, Blegen said.

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