GoFundMe effort launched to raise $100k for Building on Hope project
Organization offers CDFA tax credits, seeks volunteers to support renovation of Manchester PAL facility
Aiming to complete a $1 million renovation of the Manchester Police Athletic League facility, the volunteer group Building on Hope is going online to help raise $100,000.
Building on Hope and MPAL have launched a GoFundMe page at gofundme.com/Manchester-police to raise funds for the renovation of the Michael Briggs Community Center, an inner-city youth center.
They are also reaching out to the business community for support in the form of donated materials and offering Community Development Finance Authority tax credits for businesses interested in making a financial donation. Businesses that donate to CDFA-approved projects can receive at least 75 percent of that contribution back in the form of a state business tax credit.
“Every two years, Building on Hope selects a New Hampshire nonprofit to receive improvements and repairs completed by volunteers,” said Jonathan Halle, co-chair of Building on Hope. “The renovation of MPAL’s Michael Briggs Community Center is our largest undertaking to date and will require enormous community support and multiple funding sources in order to accomplish our goal. We are appealing directly to the community via this GoFundMe effort. Every dollar helps and no amount is too small.”
The 16,500-square-foot Michael Briggs Community Center which was named after a Manchester police officer who was killed in the line of duty in 2006, consists of one large room on each floor with additional closed-off rooms being taken up by old equipment, broken furniture, among other items. The goal is to create a space that flows from one area to the next, encouraging openness and a community feel while giving students and volunteers designated areas to participate in their activities.
“Since announcing the project in June, we’ve received a tremendous amount of support and our volunteer base grows each week. Thus far we have over 100 companies committed,” said Karen Van Der Beken, co-chair of Building on Hope. “The first phase of the project required a demolition team which EnviroVantage stepped up to own. Next we needed a major HVAC skills and material donation which Granite State Plumbing has been extremely generous with providing. Along the way we’ve also heard from Cardoza Flooring which committed nearly $20,000 worth of material, Sherman Williams which will fulfill all of our paint needs and many, many more. There’s been great headway that we’re extremely grateful for but our efforts to attract more support is far from done.”
In addition to financial support, materials and skilled labor volunteers are needed in the form of carpenters, electricians, painters, framers, flooring and countertop installers, site managers for a full day or more, kitchen equipment, exercise equipment, office and common area furniture, doors, hardware, casings, t-shirts and more. Individuals with such skills or physical material available for donation, can contact volunteer coordinator Sue Bee at sueannbee22@gmail.com or visit buildingonhope.com/get-involved.
