120 East State Announces “Climbing Higher, Soaring Together” Grassroots Community Fundraising Campaign
Funds to help transform Historic First Presbyterian Church into Downtown Arts, Cultural Center and Economic Engine Non-Profit 120 East State Seeks to Partner with the People of Trenton
120 East State, the non-profit group transforming the historic First Presbyterian Church site into the Steeple Center, a cultural and arts hub and economic development engine for Downtown Trenton, announced its Climbing Higher, Soaring Together Campaign to raise $100,000 in grassroots donations by the end of the year.
“We’ve been steadily attracting government grants and we will seek out major philanthropic givers,” said 120 East State Board President Cherry Oakley. “But this is a community oriented-project and we ask the Trenton community to ‘Climb Together’ and ‘Soar Together’ with 120 East State to make this ambitious project a reality.
“We ask you to join the Climb by contributing to our fall 2024 goal of raising $100,000 by December 31, 2024. If everyone who lives in Trenton gave just $1.11, we’d get there in no time at all.”
120 East State began preserving, rehabilitating, and transforming the historically registered First Presbyterian Church complex into The Steeple Center for the benefit of the downtown Trenton community in April 2022.
“We see the Steeple Center as a place where Trentonians will be able to connect, learn, celebrate, collaborate, create, and find community in a newly vibrant place in the heart of the city. We can’t do this alone. If we want to soar, we have to climb higher together,” Oakley said.
“This campaign will enable 120 East State to do three important things: open up, build up, and staff up,” said Project Leader Molly Dykstra. ”We want to keep welcoming groups like the WorkWell Partnership in its work with returning citizens, or our newest partner Project: All In youth jiu jitsu program. We also need to keep building up 120 East State’s capacity to deliver on the project for our community, and we need to hire staff to keep us moving forward. That’s what these donations will do,” she said.
“The goal is lofty, but by each of us doing what we can, we can get there,” Oakley said.
Donors can give by clicking on this link: https://120eaststate.org/donate/ .
“We know not everyone can donate and some can give more than others, but we ask as many as possible to give what you can,” Oakley said. “Let’s ‘Climb Higher and Soar Together’ into a brighter future for Trenton and its people.”
About 120 East State
120 East State (120ES) is a community-based, community-centered investment in the heart of Trenton. Through public and private funding, 120ES is transforming a building with a storied past, First Presbyterian Church of Trenton, into a multi use gathering place for the whole community, including a community cafe, cultural/performing arts venue, and events/program space. Serving Trenton and greater Trenton, 120ES will contribute to the vitality of downtown, provide needed jobs and services to Trenton residents, highlight the told and untold histories of this National Historic Register property, and create a Trenton-proud hospitality zone for visitors to our capital city.
About First Presbyterian Church of Trenton
Founded in 1712, the First Presbyterian of Trenton has been located on this downtown Trenton site since 1727, nearly 300 years (the current structure dates from 1839). The earliest cemetery grave-markers date to the 1730’s. Many of Trenton’s original settlers are buried here, but the cemetery is perhaps best known as the final resting place of Col. Johann Rall, killed in the First Battle of Trenton in December, 1776. The first U.S. military chaplain to be killed in battle, the Rev. John Rosbrugh, is also buried here, murdered by British and Hessian troops during the second battle of Trenton. Both the church building and cemetery are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The post 120 East State Announces “Climbing Higher, Soaring Together” Grassroots Community Fundraising Campaign first appeared on TrentonDaily.
Powered by WPeMatico