Sept. 2011: Capital Campaign Update

September 1, 2011

Dear Friends,

It’s been a long and trying summer, but I wanted to share the good news of what’s been happening at Cranaleith and invite your prayers and financial support for our construction project and capital campaign.

We broke ground for our new Education & Conference Center on April 15 with more than 100 supporters cheering as community, church and civic officials lifted the first spades of dirt into our tractor!  (See coverage from the Northeast Times.)

The sitework is progressing with major attention to the water-management systems and the access road to the lower parking area.  We discovered a new spring bubbling up on the property, which is quite a sign of hope!  Footings for the Conference Center and the replicated barn (which will become a Welcome Center) are scheduled to begin shortly.

The $4.5-million first phase of the capital campaign is nearing the halfway point thanks to our $1 million state grant and generous contributions from family, friends and foundations.  We are extremely grateful for every gift and prayer, and wanted to acknowledge the Connelly Foundation, the Vopicka Family Foundation and an anonymous foundation for their $250,000 leadership grants.

The ministry continues despite the challenges of Mother Nature and construction.  Our new vegetable garden is flourishing thanks to the weekly caretaking of our friends from Bethesda Project, St. John’s Hospice and CATCH.  Our summer programs have been well attended.  And the house has been full with retreatants and hosted nonprofit and other groups who use Cranaleith for strategic-planning meetings, team-building activities and leadership-development workshops.

In fact, since we will be able to accommodate groups up to 60 for meetings and meals in our new facility, we have already received several bookings for the new space, which we trust will be available in late spring 2012!  If you’d like information about dates and rates, please call us at 215.934.6206.

We are deeply grateful to all who have partnered with us to bring Cranaleith this far.  But we need you now more than ever as the capital campaign progresses.  Please consider making a gift by using our online donation form (just click on the “Donate” button on the right side of this page).  If you’d like to have a conversation first, just call me and we can chat or arrange for a visit.

We know we can count on your talents, financial support and continued commitment, so essential to this unfolding vision.

With great joy we look forward to the possibilities for this ministry of Mercy…

Sincerely,

Sr. Mary Trainer, RSM

Celebrating Cranaleith's April 15 groundbreaking were (l to r) Philadelphia City Councilman Brian O'Neill, Pa. State Rep. Brendan Boyle, Pa. State Sen. Mike Stack, Cranaleith director Sr. Mary Trainer, RSM, Sr. Christine McCann, RSM (immediate past president of the Sisters of Mercy, Mid-Atlantic Community), former Pa. State Rep. George Kenney, Cranaleith Board Member Tom Trainer, and Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce president Al Taubenberger.