<div>Hello, dear friends and supporters,
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<div>We at Ad Astra are reaching out to you during a pivotal moment in our journey. As we navigate our second year of business, we are faced with unprecedented challenges that threaten the unique dining and drinking community space we have lovingly built together.
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<div>The current economic climate has made it increasingly difficult to sustain our operations. Rising costs of inventory, new distributor fees, escalating rent, increased taxes, and the overall burden of existing as a downtown business have hit us hard. The first two quarters of 2024 have been unexpectedly slow, leaving us at a crossroads we did not expect and have not been able to recover from.
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<div>Our beloved Ad Astra has always been a labor of love, <strong>completely self-funded </strong>by our dedicated owner, Kristina Barbee.
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<div>Kristina poured her heart, soul, and <strong>entire life savings</strong> into making this dream a reality. She even took out a<strong> loan against her mortgage</strong>, all because she believed in creating a special place for our community and <strong>each pay period she gives herself $0</strong> to ensure that our doors remain open.
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<div>Until now,<strong> we have managed without investors, grants, or crowdfunding. </strong>We faced a six-month delay in renovations in 2022 alongside skyrocketing renovation fees and expenses, but we persevered, opening our doors with pride and determination in November of 2022, hoping those delays and the economy would not come back to bite us. But today, we find ourselves in need of your help.
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<div>We are launching this GoFundMe campaign to seek the financial support of our community. Your contributions will help us weather these tough times, allowing us to continue providing the exceptional experience you’ve come to love. With your support, we can overcome these hurdles and look forward to a brighter future together.
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<div>Thank you for being a part of the Ad Astra family. We are incredibly grateful for any help you can provide.
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<div>With heartfelt gratitude,
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<div>Kristina Barbee and the Ad Astra Team
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<div><strong>Ad Astra: A Sanctuary of Celebration and Respite</strong>
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<div>Founded in 2022, Ad Astra began as a modest wine bar offering simple food options. Since then, we have blossomed into a fully stocked cocktail and wine bar, complete with a full kitchen menu featuring unique tapas and shareable plates.
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<div>From the outset, our vision for Ad Astra was deeply rooted in the feelings we wanted to evoke in our customers. We focused on creating a space that would make people feel cared for, welcomed, and cherished, regardless of whether they were just entering, experiencing, leaving, or even simply thinking about us.
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<div>The inspiration behind Ad Astra stems from personal challenges and adversities I have faced throughout my life— times when I desperately needed a place where I felt wanted and safe. Realizing that such a space didn't exist for me, I made it my life's mission to create it for others.<strong> Ad Astra was born out of my hope to provide a sanctuary for those who are weary and need rest, those who are full of life and want to celebrate, and everyone in between.</strong>
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<div>The name "Ad Astra" is derived from the Latin phrase "ad astra per aspera," meaning "to the stars through hardships." This embodies our mission: to be a pitstop for refueling and replenishing those in need and celebrating those who have overcome challenges and found success.
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<div>We strive to provide a high-quality and inclusive atmosphere and product, whether patrons are looking to relax or celebrate. Our vision is a future where differences are honored at tables big enough to welcome everyone, celebrating high-quality and sustainable lifestyles every day.
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<div>At Ad Astra, our values are the foundation of our business:
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<div>•	Quality: We ensure top-notch products and services every day and every visit.
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<div>•	Equity: We advocate for equitable treatment in our communities, legislation, and interactions with others.
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<div>•	Community: We prioritize safety, justice, and care for those who need it most.
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<div>•	Inclusion: We embrace diverse brands, welcome all who walk through our doors, and celebrate the wide spectrum of identities and expressions that make each person unique.
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<div>•	Sustainability: We commit to sustainable practices for our staff, business, and environment, building our business model on care for each other and our planet.
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<div>Ad Astra is more than just a bar; it's a haven where everyone is valued and celebrated, and we want to continue to be that space for you all.
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<div><strong>What We See In Our Future</strong>
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<div>Ad Astra has always been a beacon of transformation, evolving with the rhythms of life. We started humbly as a wine bar, offering simple cheese plates and an impressive selection of over fifty wines. Today, we’ve blossomed into a vibrant small plates restaurant and wine bar, boasting some of the best cocktails in town, along with a charming market and community space.
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<div>Looking to the future, our hearts are set on a grand dream. As our lease nears its end in three years, we plan to find a new home—a space with a true kitchen, more room to breathe, and a price that allows us to flourish. This move isn’t just about expansion; it’s about metamorphosis. 
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<div><strong>We’re envisioning a new chapter: an indie book bar, magical educational space, and wine café.</strong>
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<div>Imagine a haven where we welcome you for lunch, invite you to lounge in the afternoon, and tempt you with an expanded menu, more exquisite wines, comforting coffee and tea, creative cocktails, and, of course, a treasure trove of books.
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<div>Our book market will be a paradise for fantasy and fiction lovers, featuring the latest releases and beloved titles in the young adult and adult sci-fi and fantasy genres. We’ll also have curated sections for general fiction, history, children’s literature, and more.
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<div>This vision is more than a business plan—it’s a dream we’ve cherished for our town for a long time. <strong>And we can’t wait to share it with you, but first, we have to get through these tough times- together.</strong>
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<div><strong>This is More Than A Bar</strong>
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<div>Above all else, we have existed as a space of safety, joy, inclusion, and hope, and will continue to do so, no matter what we blossom into.
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<div><em>“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”</em>
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<div><em>― Maya Angelou</em>
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<div>Since opening, we have chosen to live and learn by the words of Maya Angelou. Each smile we put on our faces and each cocktail we conjure up has been done with the hope that you not only will enjoy it, but it will make you feel as beautiful and loved as you truly are. While, perhaps, it is advantageous to say that Ad Astra has changed any lives outside of our own, we do know we have had an impact on the community.
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<div>We have held customers as they cried from joy or pain, we have celebrated weddings and babies, we have found our family here, and we know so have many of you. We have had customers from the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities pull us aside and thank us for making a safe space for them to exist safely and wholly. We have watched customers meet and fall in love with one another. We have seen sorrow turn into joy and self discovery begin to form.
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<div>And as much as it hurts to ask for help, as much shame and embarrassment as I feel for not being able to “do it all on my own”, I don’t want this to end.
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<div><strong>Opening Ad Astra gave me a life and a love I never knew I could have, never believed I deserved.</strong>
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<div>A dream life that I felt was just that, a dream.
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<div>You all have done this for me. My team has done this for me. This community that has been created has done this for me.
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<div><strong>And I truly believe, in this life and in all my others, that this journey is not meant to end here.</strong> That this is what I am meant to do- to continue building this community and this space for all of us freaks, geeks, witches, weirdos, and scared and hurt individuals to come and be loved, be cherished, and be happy.
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<div>From the bottom of my heart and from the entirety of my soul, I thank you for any support you can offer here or in other ways.
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<div>Ad Astra is not my own, it is ours, and it is time that I remember how much community exists out there who want to see us win.
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<div>Thank you,
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<div>Kristina Barbee, Owner &amp; Vintner
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<div><strong>What We Are Raising</strong>
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<div>We need to raise an initial round of $45,000 USD to cover the cost of keeping Ad Astra open and operating in terms of general rent, overhead costs, and inventory. These costs are estimated to cover several months worth of expenses while we get back on our feet, get income, and replenish our bank accounts.
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<div>Additional funds over the goal would allow us to update our small kitchen space with better equipment- specifically a new fridge, save for more rainy days, and, beyond that, begin our transformation into the future with our desired new business model and offerings.
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<div>Rent	2100
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<div>Loan	2900
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<div>Payroll	4000
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<div>Inventory/Groceries*	5000
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<div>Insurance*	500
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<div>Utilities*	500
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<div>Monthly Total	15000
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<div>Three Months	45000
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<div><em>*Estimated expenses assuming increased work hours and full restocks of inventory each month.</em>
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<div><strong>GIFTS &amp; GIVING</strong>
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<div>We are intentionally choosing not to attach gifts to giving because it allows each contribution to count as a gift or donation which carries less of a tax burden and therefore allows us to keep and use more of the money from your contribution to our goal. On behalf of everyone at Ad Astra, we’re deeply grateful for you and your contribution and we look forward to keeping our doors open and continuing forward!
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Jacob Hunter

Ashley Bailey

Tracy Owens

Anonymous

Dennis Glavin

Alicia Piper

Chris Collins

Jillian Hawkins

Beth Ley

Samantha Taylor

Arwen Baker

Jill Steiner

Cathy Schwartz

Vasanta Mushunuri

Severyn Beekman

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Still $42,862 to go. Help us build momentum.