Side view of the church
 

Our Campaign Celebrating
Our First Hundred Years of Service and Worship
 
Amount pledged to date: $240,940.00
 
Pastor's letter
The Challenge
Historical Review
Case for the Capital Campaign
Proposed Projects
Gift Options
 
September 20,2003
 
Dear Parishioner,

I would like to begin this letter by expressing my deep gratitude for your faithful presence and support of Our Lady of Good Help Church. Your active participation in our weekly Eucharist and your involvement in our Parish life make OLGH viable and vibrant. God's Presence is felt here.

You might know that each parish in the Diocese of Providence is self-supportive. As such, we are completely dependent upon the goodwill of people like you to provide for the needs of God's people: body, soul and spirit, and to maintain the buildings that belong to the parish. In 1987-1990, using the title Project Pride, Our Lady of Good Help undertook a capital campaign to do major renovations of the church and rectory buildings. Since that time we have installed a new parking lot, re-painted the church, school and rectory buildings, re-painted the interior of the church building, put in a handicap ramp and lift for the church building, and re-pointed the chimneys on the school and church buildings. We are now looking at the final phase of preparing the physical plant to celebrate our 100th Anniversary as a parish family in 2005.

The roof on our church and school buildings need to be replaced. A fire alarm system needs to be installed in the church and church hall. We might need some structural reinforcement in our church building. The interior of the school building has not been touched in some time. The church hall/kitchen need to be renovated and the exits brought up to the proper fire code. The parking lot and stairways need repair and maintenance work. The exterior of the garage building needs repairs and residing. The church, school and rectory buildings' exteriors will need to be repainted within the next five to seven years. Most of the items on this list are not glamorous. They are simply necessary repairs that must be done if our buildings are to be maintained properly. Consequently, I want you to know that we are undertaking a Capital Campaign.

After consulting with the Finance Council, Parish Ministries Committee and several qualified individuals who know construction, we estimate the costs for this work will be $163,000. We are calling this our 100th Anniversary Campaign. I am asking that you prayerfully consider making a pledge over a five year period to help pay for the costs of these repairs.

The Campaign officially begins on the weekend of September 20-21, 2003. Together I know that we can meet the challenge that lies ahead and I express my gratitude to you and to God.

In Christ's Peace,

fr. tim
Top
 
The Challenge
This is an extraordinary challenge and a special opportunity. We need the kind of generosity and spirit that filled the hearts of the men and women who built our parish and gave us the facilities and programs we have today. We need you, our parishioners and friends.

Please keep in mind that a pledge is a goodwill intention and not a contract. The success of our efforts depends on your generosity in pledging an amount over and above your regular support of our parish.

This campaign will benefit all of us. It will restore our parish facilities, enhance our ministries and organizations, and provide funding for unforeseen and unbudgeted expenses, thereby, preparing Our Lady of Good Help Church for the challenges that lay ahead in our next hundred years.

In this spirit, please consider a gift plan representing your sacrifice in appreciation for all God has given you.
Top
 
school building Rear view of Rectory
 
Historical Review
The Parish of Our Lady of Good Help will celebrate its 100th Anniversary in August of 2005. The rectory building is the oldest of the three buildings (1905). The corner stone was laid for the church building in 1906, and the school building in 1916. The parish buildings experienced a twenty-five to thirty year period during which little maintenance was done. Since that time each of the buildings has been maintained and is in good condition.

The Parish has done two significant remodeling projects in the past seventeen years. The church building was renovated in 1986/1987. The worship space received a new rug, pews, lighting, sound system, and much of the church was rewired. The kitchen in the church hall and the lavatories were also renovated. The roof was replaced and the building resided. The rectory building was completely gutted and remodeled in 1989/1990. Both the rectory and the school buildings also were resided.

The population of Our Lady of Good Help (OLGH) has remained consistent at 760 families since 1996. It is vibrant (30+ active ministries of service) and has become an important source for people without the necessities of life to receive food and other forms of help.

Despite our many successes and achievements, despite our ability to reach out to others, we face numerous challenges. The generations that built the facilities that we enjoy made countless sacrifices to achieve their desired goals. Dedicated and generous parishioners, priests, deacons and religious gave of their time, talent and treasure to make OLGH a caring Christian community. As a Catholic community bound together by faith, love and hope we have celebrated Eucharist together, educated our young, celebrated marriage, comforted our sick, buried our beloved dead and prayed together as one parish family. Our ancestors in faith joined together to address our temporal needs including construction and renovation of our church, rectory and school buildings. Now the challenge is to maintain these facilities in a way that ensures our future as a parish.
Top
Case
This proposal is somewhat unique in that we are not doing one or two projects, but several over a five year period. Each of the proposed projects is necessary for the proper maintenance of the buildings. The shingles on the church roof need to be replaced. There is no ice barrier beneath these shingles and the interior of the church building has in the past been damaged by water penetration. The school roof (a flat roof) has been repaired twice in the past four years. Water damage is evident. The church (worship space and hall) does not have a fire alarm system. The church hall needs to have its exits brought up to code, and the kitchen needs to have a fire suppressant system installed. The garage building is an eye sore and really needs to be renovated with siding and a new door. The school building has not had its interior renovated in many years. This is compounded by the water damage it has received from the leaky roof. The stairs and parking lot need to be maintained to keep them from deteriorating.
 
 
Capital Campaign
A capital campaign designed to raise resources to fund these projects has been initiated. Our plan is to announce publicly the campaign in September after we have had an opportunity to seek personally the support of generous and committed parishioners.
 
Our intention is not to incur any debt to complete these proposed projects. We have included in our projects those things that we know or suspect will need attention in the next five to ten years (e.g., the buildings being painted). The goal of the campaign is $225,000. (over five years) which will provide us a cushion should the costs of some of the projects be unexpectedly greater, and provide us with a fund from which to work when other repairs are needed.
Top
 
Proposal for Capital Campaign
 
Proposed Projects
Now is the time for us to act in order to preserve our cherished church and parish facilities for our children and our community. The last two years I have been consulting with parishioners who have knowledge of construction and our parish finance committee to meticulously assess our needs, evaluate our options and take stock of our resources. We have developed a plan to address our current needs and ensure that we are able to preserve our church and other facilities for future generations.
 
The following is a listing of the projects and their estimated costs in prioritized order:
   - Replacement of the church building's roof $40,000  
   - Install a fire alarm system in church/hall $15,000  
   - Renovate church hall/kitchen (fire safety) $15,000  
   - Replacement of the school building's roof $15,000  
   - Reside and replace door of garage building $ 3,000  
   - Maintenance work on parking lot/stairs $ 8,000  
   - Renovate school building interior $15,000  
   - Painting church building exterior $15,000  
   - Painting school building exterior $14,000  
   - Painting rectory building exterior $ 8,000  
 
We might need to do some structural work in the church building (nothing immediate). The estimate for this work is $15,000. The total estimated money needed (including the structural work) will be $163,000.

All that we have comes from God and God has entrusted to us all that encompasses our parish. It is for our parish that we conduct this campaign. It is for our parish that, after consultation with parish leaders, diocesan officials, financial experts and with faith in our God, we are inaugurating a capital campaign designed to address these capital improvements.
Top
 
Gift Options For Your Consideration
Cash Gifts: This is the most common method of completing a financial pledge. Your gift to Our Lady of Good Help Church is tax deductible and may be paid over five years.
 
Gifts of Securities: A gift of appreciated securities is one way to make a significant contribution at a reduced cost to you. Federal tax laws allow a charitable deduction for the full market value of securities on the date of your gift.
 
Gifts of Real Property: Real property can be given as an outright gift or bequest.
 
 
$10,000.00 over five years:
 
$2,000.00     per year
$1,000.00     per six months
$500.00     per quarter
$166.75     per month
$40.00     per week
$5,000.00 over five years:
 
$1,000.00     per year
$500.00     per six months
$250.00     per quarter
$83.50     per month
$20.00     per week
 
Underline Underline
 
$4,000.00 over five years:
 
$800.00     per year
$400.00     per six months
$200.00     per quarter
$66.75     per month
$14.00     per week
$3,000.00 over five years:
 
$600.00     per year
$300.00     per six months
$150.00     per quarter
$50.00     per month
$12.50     per week
Top
 
 
Back
home