Dear friends and supporters,
It's been a little while since we updated you on the status of our building and all the things going on at the rescue. So it's time I filled you guys in.
The last you had heard was we were fundraising for a beautiful building offered to us by a woman in our community. Our realtor wanted us to raise $50,000 as a downpayment to secure it as ours. So we got to work. I personally walked up and down Newberg sharing our story with anyone who would listen, and rallied support. So many of you also did the same. Reaching out to friends, families, bosses, and those in your community. I truly cannot thank you enough. Together we raised close to $6,000 in donations and an additional $12,000 in pledges. All in just 2 weeks.
However, when reaching out to the woman to ask a couple of questions, I was met with no answer. I thought this was strange as she had been very responsive and followed up a few days later. Still no response. So I reached out to her realtor, and it turns out that the owner had accepted an offer on the building just a few days after our meeting. I was crushed and felt deceived.
For those of you who have met me, or visited the rescue, you know that I like to stay behind the scenes. Call it a confidence issue, but the face to face interactions always get my nerves going, feeling like an imposter. The past two weeks I put that fear behind me and really pushed myself to go out into the community and do everything I could to get this opportunity for the rescue. There were many mental breakdowns where I cried, feeling less than worthy, as I walked downtown. So if you saw a mom pushing her toddler in a stroller passing out flyers, and crying. Well that was me. Some people can be so mean! But some people can be so incredibly kind.
I even presented in at the city council meeting. If you need an entertaining public comment session, message me and I'll send you the date. You really can't make some of this stuff up. Anyways, that was terrifying in its self. But I did it with all of you behind me supporting. And I couldn't be more grateful.
Our staff and volunteers at ARK never cease to amaze me, and watching the community come behind us was incredible.
But what's next? The problem remains the same and we need a stable home for the rescue and a way to increase income to the animals without constantly begging for donations.
I do want to say first that all funds raised for the building have been placed in a secure account where they will be used for our future home! The goal has not changed and we know there is a place for us in Newberg. We just need to be prepared when that opportunity comes along.
For now though, I do want to share that we are opening a little horse tack consignment shop here in Newberg called Equine Exchange. 100% of the profits that this little store generates will go directly to the rescue! Our hope is that this bridges the gap between slow adoption weeks and low donations, while providing a service to our community!
Stay tuned for more information coming out in the weeks to come. But we couldn't be more excited!