June 12, 2024

Beloved of Grace,
 
The Vestry and I are writing to announce a newly launched special purpose Capital Campaign, Expanding our Foundation. We ask for your financial support in this campaign that will enable a significant enhancement of the activity spaces available to us as well as the important needs of the Hastings community. 
 
The campaign funds a (literally) foundational improvement to the undercroft of the sanctuary, solidifying our commitment to existing ministries and, more importantly, expanding currently unused or underused space to serve as a future source of growth and income for Grace Church. For years, we have been prayerfully considering how best to use our Church Undercroft (the basement under our regular worship space). We saw how upgrading it could strengthen our worship and mission activities by providing us with a reliable source of financial support for Grace Church as a whole. However, in 2021/2022, the issue became pressing: the Undercroft was ruined by Hurricane Ida, made unusable first by flooding and then by mold. Through careful stewarding of our insurance benefit payments, we were able to do a limited restoration that enabled us to continue to use the undercroft for our church nursery. 
 
After a year of prayerful discernment, as well as a number of conversations with real estate agents, contractors, and other experts, the Vestry and I believe that a prudent investment to finance the enhancement and upgrading of the undercroft would support our community and our ministries in vital ways. Specifically, we envision an improved undercroft being used in support of two ministries: first, as an expansion of the Rivertown Preschool to include this space for a 2-year-old program, and second as a venue for evening and weekend meetings of the Hastings Lighten Up Alcoholics Anonymous Group. The Preschool has been a long-term mission partner, providing much needed all-day preschool to the area, and their new program would greatly expand their offerings. AA is a newer partnership, providing a space for working on recovery. 
 
To accomplish this, we need to bring the undercroft into compliance with Village codes for a Certificate of Occupancy for Educational Use. This work includes HVAC and air filtration, fire alarms, flooring, minimizing the duct work in the undercroft for head space, ADA mirrors and grab bars, moving lighting, and building and filing fees for educational usage. 
 
This preschool expansion will provide us with increased income, which we can rely on over time. This helps us to plan and make for effective use of all our resources. This will strengthen not only Grace's literal church foundation, but our financial foundation as well. 
Our goal for this campaign is $30,000. We have a lead gift of $5,000, so we only need to raise an additional $25,000. The increased rent will more than pay for this investment in only a few years, but we need all of our financial help to make the changes to our physical plant. 
 
Please consider giving a gift of $500, $1,000, or $2,000 to this campaign. Every donation counts and speaks for the responsible stewardship the Grace Church joyfully bears. You can give your gift via check, Zelle (giving@gracehastings.org), or using the capital campaign link here: https://my.cheddarup.com/c/grace-church-collection-plate/
We hope to receive all donations this summer so we can complete the work in time for the preschool to occupy this space September 1, 2024. Thank you for your gift to Grace Church.

Faithfully,


 

The Rev. Lauren Kuratko, Rector at Grace Church