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FORMER DENTIST OFFICE TO BECOME NEW HOME TO 4H FOUNDATION

The Ashtabula County 4H Foundation (AC4HF) is excited to announce the recent purchase of a former Dentist office in Jefferson. The office building, located at 248 North Chestnut St, has been vacant for a couple of years, and the AC4HF has plans to bring it back to life.

According to AC4HF President Jim Butler, the building is a perfect fit for the Foundation. “ We have operated out of members’ homes for several years and the Foundation has been growing steadily. Space has been an increasing problem for a few years, with the need for storage and organizational space to prepare for our fundraisers. Currently, items for the fundraisers are stored throughout the area in several member’s homes, which makes it extremely difficult to get ready for an event. The pig roast donations start coming in February, and we have to store more than 300 items until September. The golf outing has signs and banners that need storing year-round to keep from year to year. We also have office equipment, and files that need to be in a permanent office setting. This new building will be the solution to all of these issues, as well as provide space for the current 15 Trustees to meet for planning”

Butler went on to explain how a decision was made for the purchase. “ When we began our original search for a permanent location, we tried to be as frugal as possible. With the cooperation of the Ashtabula County Commissioners, we were able to rent a small space to hold meetings, we purchased a small enclosed trailer for our supplies and donations. As our fundraisers have grown it was nearly impossible to be organized, this created way to much stress on our volunteers, and it was beginning to affect the quality of the items we were offering at the fundraisers. The entire board of Trustees unanimously agreed to pursue a larger space. Searching for lease space came up with many offers, with still less space than we needed, and rental rates at $1000 to $1500 per month. We felt as a group that this would be an irresponsible use of funds that were donated to promote education. In the fall of 2019, we began pursuing the thought of a building purchase. After viewing several options that weren’t feasible, we found this building, and the excitement has been growing ever since. We took possession a couple of weeks ago.”

When asked how this financial commitment would affect the AC4HF, Butler stated “The trustees are committed to making this the best decision we have ever made. It is our intention to never pull money out of the endowment fund for anything other than scholarships. We are stepping up our fundraising efforts and adding a fourth fundraiser this year. We are pursuing local and regional grants to help with purchase costs, as well as the costs of improvements. The building was paid for by an investor, who wishes to remain anonymous, as a loan to be paid back as grants and fundraisers come in. This gives us the means to keep things going unchanged. We have budgeted for 2020 scholarships and camperships a total of $18,000. The educational opportunities will always be top priority for the AC4HF. It is also the intention in the very near future to create a “community room” within our new facility. By opening up our meeting space and allowing 4H groups and other nonprofit groups use of our space at little to no charge, we will increase public perception, and in turn, have more groups supporting the Foundation. This is a very important part of this project because meeting space for local groups is very limited and almost non-existent. We want to help other groups to not have to go through what we have had to.”

The anticipated move-in date is May 1^st. The foundation volunteers are busy prepping the inside of the building. As a total renovation is not necessary, there are the usual minor improvements and repairs that come with the purchase of an old building. Floor and walls need patching from the removal of the former dentist equipment, commercial flooring will be installed, the roof has been repaired, and the entire building will get fresh paint. Soon after the Foundation gets settled in, they have plans to host a public open house in early summer.

Anyone wanting to support the AC4HF, or this building project can contact any Foundation member, or support the 2020 fundraisers. The first fundraiser is the “Night at the Races” to be held Saturday, April 4. The Joe Bodnar Memorial Golf Outing will be held on Saturday, June 13, and the Annual Pig Roast and Auction will be held Saturday, September 19. New this year, they will be raffling off a BAD BOY MAVERICK commercial zero turn mower. Tickets will be sold starting in April for $10 each, or 3 for $25. Drawing will be held in September during the Pig Roast. For more information on the Foundation, please visit our website www.ac4hf.com “We are looking forward to your continued support of the AC4HF in 2020 and beyond.” said Butler.

Our Purpose Our Vision***

The Ashtabula County 4-H Foundation (AC4-HF) was established in 1997as an independent, non-profit organization with the “purpose” of supporting youth development and advanced education to youth who have participated in the 4-H program. We grant funding through college scholarships and 4-H camperships to support our local youth in programs that provide educational growth. We truly believe that the best way to improve the local quality of life is by investing into our local youth. We are annually awarding in excess of $25,000 to qualifying youth in Ashtabula County. The Foundation focuses on raising funds to grow it’s current endowment fund through donations and annual fundraisers. The “Night at the Races” is held the 1st Saturday of April, The “ Joe Bodnar Memorial Golf Outing”, held the 2nd Saturday of June, The annual “Pig Roast and Auction”, held the 3rd Saturday of September, and beginning this year the New Year’s Eve “REVERSE” Reverse Raffle, which is sure to be a great event. We also rely on a few smaller fundraisers and memorial contributions throughout the year. Since the creation of the AC4-HF, a percentage of the total assets are budgeted to award back to the local youth who apply through a simple application and judging process. We are currently awarding 4% of the total Foundation assets annually. Because of the generosity of our supporters, along with a dedicated and passionate board of trustees, it is our “Vision” to continue to grow the endowment and be able to award a minimum of $50,000 annually in the very near future. Thank you all for your continued support of our mission. The board of trustees is committed to responsible investing and decision making to ensure that we will be here for our youth for generations to come.

OUR MISSION

The Ashtabula County 4H Foundation is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds to provide college scholarships and 4H camperships to children and young adults, of approximate ages of 9 to 25, who have participated in the 4-H program in Ashtabula County. Proceeds from fundraising allow financial support for annual scholarships awards, plus continued investing into the Foundation’s endowment, which will ensure future and long term funding for scholarships.