Why Your Voice Matters and Why We’re Still Asking for a Donation Too

We talk a lot about how your voice matters, and we mean that.

Your voice matters because this project only moves forward when people understand why it matters and how it can actually happen. Sharing this work, talking about it, and inviting others into the conversation creates the awareness and momentum that make progress possible.

At the same time, we are still asking for a donation, and we want to be clear about why. Before the Fallsvale Old Schoolhouse can be restored, the asbestos insulation used decades ago must be professionally removed. Until that happens, nothing else can legally move forward.

That removal is not optional. It is the first required step, and it comes with a real cost.

Rather than placing that cost on a few people, we are inviting many voices to participate at a modest level. For most people, ten dollars a month for one year is manageable, it is about the cost of two coffees a month.

If one thousand people agree to that level of giving for a year, the funding needed to remove this barrier becomes possible. Small, steady participation adds up when people act together.

This approach also reflects our responsibility as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Public charities are expected to demonstrate public support, and the board of directors has a stewardship duty to invite that participation. Asking the community to engage, including through modest financial giving, is part of operating responsibly and transparently.

If you choose to give, your donation is more than money. It is a public expression of support that shows this work matters and that the project is ready to move forward. That visible support also strengthens future opportunities, including grants, because it demonstrates shared commitment and care.

And if you cannot give financially right now, your voice still matters. Sharing this project, talking about why it matters, and encouraging others to participate are meaningful contributions. Sometimes your voice is what leads someone else to give.

What matters most is participation. Choosing the way you can stand with this effort, whether through your voice, your support, or both. When enough people do that together, the barrier is removed, the door opens, and the Fallsvale Old Schoolhouse can finally move forward into its next chapter.