End of May? Start of Summer? If you blink, you miss it! May has been a busier month, construction has picked back up and we have had several opportunities to share the mission and vision of Next Step Farms. Up until this month, we have been able to pay for construction needs out of pocket without securing a loan (approximately 75% of the building), but the time came to do so. Beginning in June, we now have a significant loan payment to make ($3600) which will be adjusted once the building has been completed to a lower amount. Fundraising and sustainability projects are now an increased focus for the staff and board of Next Step Farms. THIS month, we are rolling out a sustainability plan, keep your eyes open looking for that information. The mission and vision of Next Step Farms will not work if we isolate ourselves from the community, we NEED you. In the weeks to come, we will need additional volunteers on the construction site to help with painting, sealing the floor and routine clean up. If you our your corporate giving team would like to help with that, please let Robin ( robin.kramer@nextstepfarms.org ) or Chris (Christopher.r.kramer@gmail.com) know as soon as possible so that we can keep you in the loop. In the weeks to come, we will be adding Friday to our regular days of instruction as we prepare and plan for the move, if you have passion for the population of special needs and want to volunteer with our individuals, our staff can use your scheduled support on a weekly basis. This is a great way to get your foot in the door for future employment!
As you know we have been approved to be LAH/ID waiver providers, at this point, we are simply waiting for the powers that be to list our provider number and flip the switch. We have had our inspections at both the temporary and permanent locations, we wait.
There are 21,000 individuals in Madison County alone that would benefit from a program to give them purpose and hands-on skills. See the need and know that Next Step Farms is answering that need. But we cannot do it alone. Now is the time to be a part of something BIG, meeting a need to a forgotten population. We need to lock arms with private and corporate sponsorship. Contact us at info@nextstepfarms.org to help be the answer to that need. Fundraising and awareness are how we continue to achieve these goals. We need you NOW. We have been touched by your generosity in the past, but we have reached the bottom of our safety net. More than half of our building expenses have been paid for by YOUR generosity. Now we need to utilize a loan – we still need you.
