New Heights CCDA has reached its fundraising goal for the New Heights Laundry Hub at 2121 Red Arrow Highway in Benton Heights. New Heights Director Chris Britton tells us the effort to build a community center with human resources and a laundromat began a couple of years ago when a survey found residents of the area really need a laundromat. The fundraising goal was $1.3 million, and Britton says a trio of supporters helped the group collect the final $100,000 needed.
“We had a $100,000 gap, and we had two private donors come together alongside First Church of God to develop a $50,000 challenge match where they would contribute $50,000 if we could raise an additional $50,000,” Britton said. “When that news of that broke, one particular benefactor read that story and called us up and said that they wanted to close the gap for us. That was incredibly generous and just so awesome and shocking and exciting.”
New Heights announced it was down to the final $100,000 in August. Britton couldn’t tell us who the anonymous final donors were. He says when the project began, it was distressing to learn the construction cost would be $1.3 million, but New Heights decided to press on. That’s when they learned how generous the community is. The goal is to finish construction and have a ribbon cutting in late October or early November.
