The Union Aid Society officially kicked off the expansion project for its senior housing complex in Sewickley.

Board members, residents and community members attended last week's groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the society's two subsidized apartment complexes at 511 Centennial Avenue.

"They're excited because what this means for them is that this will be starting," Hanley Cox, the building chairman, said of the residents.

More than $1.1 million has been raised through the Safety Net Capital Campaign, which surpassed their $1 million goal.

The money will be used to construct a Commons Room, build two new apartments and install an elevator that will provide access to all floors in both buildings.

Cox said the original focus for the capital campaign was to raise money to install the elevator.

The other aspects of the project fell into place afterward.

The Union Aid Society has owned and maintained the original building, which has eight units, since 1972. A second building with 12 additional units was built a decade later.

The new elevator will be accessed through the commons room, which will be used for social activities during the winter, more entertainment and for visitiing with family members.

The rest of the money from the campaign will be used for the society's endowment for maintenance costs associated with the apartments and the elevator and to provide funding for financial aid programs.

Though the capital campaign committee ultimately exceeded its $1 million goal, fundraising proved to be a daunting task.

Committee members spent countless hours over the last two years soliciting organizations and individuals for donations.

They held five invitation-only events and drummed up publicity with mailers, brochures and interviews.

Their hard work eventually paid off.

Deejay Oshry, a professional fund consultant, helped them obtain gifts ranging from $5 to $327,000 from more than 250 donors, including $100,000 from the Valley Care Association, along with donations from each of its board members.

The committee also received a $250,000 donation from the Richard P. Simmons Family Foundation, or 25 percent of the overall goal, after sending Richard P. Simmons a letter about the project.

"We were told to try to put a dollar figure in everyone we asked," Eleanor Friedman, capital campaign chair, said Oshry told them.

"We got a lot from a lot of people," Cox added.

Before soliciting anyone else, however, the committee first asked the Union Aid Society Board of Directors to provide the seed money for the campaign.

The board voted in June 2006 to authorize spending $327,000 of their own assets, including proceeds from their sale of their property on Beaver Street to Valley Care Association. The board also contributed an additional $108,000 in individual gifts from its members for the cause.

"I think everyone on our board was very passionate about this," Friedman said.

The society also received several pledges for its other projects, including a three-year, $8,000 grant for back-to-school supplies for needy children from the Tom Roberts Foundation.

Until now the faith-based Union Aid Society, started in 1898 by women volunteers from various churches in an effort to help low-income neighbors in the community, remained under the radar while reaching out to those in need.

The Safety Net Capital Campaign, however, has increased the society's visibility in the community. Cox said that will make it easier to attract potential donors and to expand its outreach efforts.

Though construction plans have not yet been released, David Selleck, the project manager and Craig Collins, the architect, continue to work on a blueprint.

"It's been a real ride," Friedman said of the campaign.