Help Save an 1898 Church

Dear Family, Friends, and Followers,

I need your help! As you know, I have been working hard to turn a dilapidated, abandoned 1898 church into a beautiful, thriving gathering place of business (and my home!). As with any renovation project of this magnitude, there have been a variety of large setbacks that threaten to upend all of my hard work over the past year.

As I move into the next phases of this project, I’m hoping you can become part of this story and help me write these next chapters in a meaningful, collaborative way. Many of you have already asked how you can help and this GoFundMe campaign is one important step in this journey.

After months of receiving these inquiries about any crowdfunding I am doing, etc, I have decided to officially launch this campaign. With this request, I am asking for your help to raise $100,000 to recover from these financial setbacks so I can continue the restoration on its current timeline. Please see the details below regarding how exactly these funds will help.

This church is more than a building to me – it’s a symbol of community, faith, and new beginnings. My goal is to bring it back to life as a welcoming home and a space where I can work & serve others in the community while preserving its history and beauty.

When I purchased the church, I also purchased the parsonage house on the same parcel and the adjacent, empty 10,000 square foot lot with the intention of starting my dream businesses on the properties once they are combined: A bed and breakfast in the parsonage and a venue offering ticketed culinary events showcasing the work of visiting chefs inside the church.

Living under one overarching LLC that has recently been formed and a future 501c3 component, I will be launching:

—A unique, upscale bed & breakfast experience where guests can book one room or the entire house and enjoy gourmet breakfasts inside the church

—Exclusive, ticketed culinary events inside the church that showcase creations made by the best & brightest chefs from around the United States

—A non-profit where seniors can enjoy meals and social hours, free of charge

Of course, all of these indoor events will be held under the glow of the most spectacular stained glass windows!

Unfortunately, my efforts have been halted due to contractor debacles (I now have a fantastic new contractor, so we are back on track with a professional at the helm!). In total, the current amount I’ve personally lost is $106,000.

This sum includes damage to the church roof, the outstanding work needed to complete the roof of the steeple, foundation damage, improper gutter installation, water damage from said gutters, plaster damage from when the roofers didn’t cover the church roof while working on it, insulation replacement due to the water, and a host of smaller items I’ve had to pay for two (and sometimes three) times to correct.

As this is no small sum, I am breaking down the request in phases in order for you to see where your donations are going:

Phase One: $25,000

$15,000 towards the steeple roof and to fix damage made by the first roofing company

$10,000 towards the floor raising & foundation damage left from the first contractor

Phase Two: $50,000

$20,000 for electrical

$20,000 for HVAC

$10,000 for plumbing

Phase Three: $25,000

Interior finishes, building/fire inspections, etc

This is the first time I’ve ever done any sort of crowdfunding, and I want to stress that every single dollar of whatever is raised here will go into a separate bank account for only the church and parsonage restorations.

Anything leftover after renovations will be transferred to the non-profit’s bank account to aid in the formation of my 501c3 and to begin to “sponsor” meals for area Seniors.

Your support will go directly towards materials and labor to finish this monumental project, and everything will be documented via my Instagram so you’re able to follow along in real-time as the project continues.

Every donation, no matter the size, brings me one step closer to saving this historic gem and launching businesses you’ll soon be able to enjoy as patrons!

If you are unable to donate at this time, please consider sharing this campaign link.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your kindness, your generosity, and your belief in this mission.

I look forward to writing this story with all of you!