President's Blog: Capital Campaign-April 2025

Thank you to everyone who either attended our recent meeting to kick-off the Capital Campaign, who has reached out to offer assistance, and especially to those who have already donated or pledged money.

For those that may have missed my remarks on March 2nd, I’d like to remind us of the background and history of our incredible Kehillah.  TKC was founded 43 years ago by Rabbi Winokur and TKC member and past president (twice!) Alan Abrams.  5 years after its inception, TKC and its membership made a home here, in the heart of Roswell.  Since that time, an addition was constructed to house classrooms, a library, preschool, and social hall.  Some of our current families even have graduating high school seniors who were among the first pupils in our original preschool.  In 2004, TKC completed a unification project whereby all the buildings were combined “under one roof” we will say.  This included renovations to our sanctuary, chapel, lobby and landscaping.  In the last 8 years or so, TKC has also become home to the Seeds of Wonder Journey School, and we are committed to the success of this partnership.  This building has seen many lifecycle events from baby namings, to b’nai mitzvahs, to weddings, and we all want to continue these wonderful celebrations.

Suffice it to say, TKC has a rich history to be proud of.  Every step of the way, we have planned for our future and next steps and are continuing to be proactive in our approach.  Preparing for the future of TKC and its needs is no different than planning for our own family’s needs down the road.  When we anticipate one of our children needing braces, we begin saving.  When we have an elder parent who may need additional living assistance, we start laying the groundwork.  It is vital to be proactive and anticipate needs both at home and here at TKC, but we need your help to do so.

At this time, our Kehillah has some anticipated and somewhat immediate needs related to our building that we need to address, as well as plans for our future.

First, I want to reassure everyone that TKC is in a favorable financial position due to past and present effective and responsible leadership.  Some years back, a financial reserve was created to ensure TKC would have the funds if an emergency situation with our building should arise.  Today, we have these reserves available to us because our leadership has remained diligent and is on top of our finances. 

We are fortunate that Andy Abrams continues to assist and consult on building-related projects and has done so for many years.  Andy is well-versed in this area and meets personally with contractors and workmen as needed.  The professionals recommend that TKC replace our 20-year-old roof.  We have patched and temporarily repaired different areas over the years and have bought ourselves some extra time, but we are now at a crossroads where this will no longer be sufficient.

Additionally, we have some problem areas in the Green Street parking lot and it has been recommended to repair the asphalt and seal it.  As good stewards, we are laying out our needs for improvement so they can be addressed before a true safely issue surfaces.

Lastly, it has been 20 years since our Social Hall has been touched.  I have received feedback from congregants and others that the space is dark and outdated.  It could use a refresh of new paint, lighting fixtures, carpet, and drapes to brighten things up, which would make the Social Hall more appealing for rentals.  Obviously, we all understand this project falls into a different category than a structurally sound roof and parking lot, so these projects will be prioritized accordingly.

After evaluations and bids of our most immediate needs and repairs, as well as improvements, it has been determined that $150,000 will cover the scope of the proposed projects and also ensure that we will continue to have the appropriate reserves for the future.  The projects include the roof, parking lot, and Social Hall which in total comes to the amount we are asking, $150,000.  With this capital raise, we can maintain our reserves and still do what needs to be done.  There is no question that a new roof and repairs to the parking lot are necessary.  And barring, a Noah’s Ark rain and flood event, we also have some time to raise money.

It has been more than 20 years since our last capital campaign at TKC, prompting the finance committee and I to launch our current campaign to raise funds for the roof and the parking lot BEFORE there is an IMMEDIATE need.  Once those needs are addressed, the remaining funds will be directed toward the Social Hall refresh.  If circumstances change and if there is an emergency, we have our reserves available and then any money raised as part of this campaign would go towards replenishing those reserves.  If that occurs, I will work with the board and finance committee to use those funds at that time.

As I write this article, we have raised around $29,000 through donations and pledges in the first 2 weeks of this capital raise from congregants, clergy and members of the Board of Trustees.  Thank you to all who have contributed and we are so appreciative of any size donation or pledge – all are needed to reach this $150,000 goal.

Please reach out to me directly if you have additional questions or would like to discuss the campaign in general.  I’m very optimistic and excited about this opportunity to continue to plan for the future of TKC.

Sincerely,

Robin Shafer, President of Temple Kehillat Chaim