I'm raising funds for my friends Marc and Lisa Williams, longtime owners of The Village Community Acupuncture in Manchester, Vermont. I've been a patient of Marc's for nearly a decade and have seen firsthand the care and commitment they bring to their work.

Marc and Lisa graduated from acupuncture school together in 2003 and have spent more than 20 years making acupuncture affordable and accessible through their community acupuncture practice. They are now bringing that experience to Cambridge, New York, where they live, by opening a satellite clinic in the former O'Hearn's Pharmacy on Main Street. Their Manchester practice will remain open.

The approximately 2,000-square-foot space needs renovations and equipment before they can open, hopefully by October 1 or sooner. Their vision extends beyond the clinic: they hope to create a comfortable community gathering place where local craftspeople and entrepreneurs can display and sell their work without markup; community groups can gather for crafts, talks, and discussions free of charge; and instructors can offer yoga and other classes when the clinic isn't in use.

We're raising $20,000 to help with building repairs, electrical and HVAC work, flooring and painting, plumbing and accessibility improvements, treatment tables and furnishings, equipment and supplies, signage, and initial opening expenses.

Marc and Lisa are investing their own savings, labor, and more than two decades of experience in this project. With some help from all of us, this historic former pharmacy can once again become a place of healing, gathering, and connection for Cambridge and the surrounding communities.