In the past 9 years we have seen a 215% increase in the number of people we serve—a record 19,900 families in 2008. To respond to this pressing need for space, the board of directors authorized the purchase of a larger property.

We need your help to complete renovation, add an addition and pay off the mortgage so that we can better serve the growing needs in Elkhart County.

Vision

This move will help us enhance and expand our services:

• Feeding the hungry: Currently we serve more than 2,000 families with food supplies each month through our Client Choice Food Pantry. (Retail value: over $1.4 million a year)
  
  OUR VISION: To serve more people in an enlarged pantry with a greater variety of food, including special ethnic and dietary foods, plus more storage to accept larger shipments of food.

Going Green

• Installing geothermal heating/AC with 8 zones to maximize control and reduce energy use.
• Fully insulating the entire brick/block/ concrete building
• Installing energy- efficient lighting
• Crisis assistance: Over 1,600 families a year receive emergency assistance to prevent eviction or utility shut-off or to pay for essential prescriptions.
  
  OUR VISION: More private space for client counselors to work in depth with clients and their needs.

• Soup of Success Job and Life Skills Training Program: Empowering change, one women at a time through counseling, money management, goal setting, conflict resolution, career counseling, and employment training.
  
  OUR VISION: To increase the number of women we serve from 24 a year to 36 or more, while offering more personalized tracks. We also want to increase sales of SOS products by 50% over the next 3 years. Accomplishing this will require additional classrooms and larger production space.

The Solution

The property at Oakland and Indiana Avenues in Elkhart includes a large office/warehouse building and several outbuildings. We will expand and renovate the main building, nearly tripling our space, and lease out some of the outbuildings until they are needed for new or expanded programs. The property is located in the heart of our service area, right on the Trolley line.

 

Campaign Investments

Our challenge is to raise $1,000,000 in cash, pledges and in-kind donations.
Building purchase:	$399,500
Renovation/construction:	$520,500
Furnishings:	$40,000
Contingency:	$40,000
Total:	$1,000,000

Please consider the impact your meaningful gifts to our capital campaign can have. We need to be able to throw our arms open wide to serve growing needs in our community.

Consider the biblical story of Nehemiah who spearheaded the immense project of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. The first thing he did -- after prayer and fasting -- was to boldly tell the king what he wanted to accomplish. The king, in response, provided materials and safe passage for Nehemiah's group to travel back to their homeland. Back in Jerusalem, the people "had a mind to work" and each family built part of the wall.\

At Church Community Services we’re expanding our mission and our space here in Elkhart, and our campaign to accomplish that can be cast in a Nehemiah-light. We believe that buying and renovating this larger property will make it possible for us to serve and train more of our neighbors as they build a more secure life.

 

Click here for additional Capital Campaign Resources