Meanwhile on the short-term front…

As I continued to keep Ken posted on what was happening with my donation, he mentioned that an accountant colleague, Martin Cundall, was on the Board at Atwater Library and had been closely involved with renovations to that building.  He suggested I put Michael in touch with Martin, which led to a meeting with Pierre Besner of Les Développements Abitec Ltée, the firm that had done the Atwater Library renovations.  What happened next was almost too good to be true.  Although Abitec normally undertook only much more major projects, Pierre put together a team of volunteer contractors and suppliers who offered to do the work required at no cost.  He said this was his way of giving back to the community.

And it didn’t stop there…

One item on the wish list, but well outside the budget, was an automatic door for the Storefront to facilitate wheelchair access while minimizing heat loss.  Thanks to Pierre’s speaking with one of his own clients, a donation from Ergo Exergy Technologies Inc. was forthcoming in fairly short order to cover the cost of such a door.

So here we are today… already, the slope leading down to the Storefront is graced with a sturdy handrail to help those with limited mobility.  The automatic door is installed and in daily use.  And my original short-term donation, not yet touched, can be used for other items to help meet immediate needs.

How far does the long arm of an original idea reach?

Who knows where it will stop?

In one development… Ken and some colleagues host a series of fundraising concerts to benefit favourite charities.

As a result of connections established during the process described above, one of the charities chosen was Project Genesis. The concert to benefit Project Genesis was held in February 2015, where people enjoyed traditional Irish music and learned about the work of Project Genesis.  Project Genesis received the net financial benefits of the concert, as well as donations from individuals who were inspired to give more.

Let’s hope the snowball continues to roll!”

Judith, volunteer Storefront advisor