Calling All Angels Mission announces expansion project milestone

MILFORD — Calling All Angels Mission announces a milestone with their Expansion Project.

Calling All Angels Mission, a non-profit which runs the Calling All Angels Thrift Shoppe in Milford, began a plan to expand both its outreach and services early in the year. As part of the first phase in the project, the Mission was raising money in order to gain access to a grantmaker database.

The month long successful effort to raise the $999 needed for the Foundation Center database was accomplished with several fund raising programs. President of the board Lauren Anderson made “flower pens” and “Lower pens in vases” which were sold at the thrift store. Direct donations by patrons was also a big aspect of reaching the goal in a short time. There was also an art auction — with art donated by a couple of local residents — and a Bag Sale in the thrift shop. The latter saw the regular (and popular) Bag Sale price jump one dollar, with the extra dollar going to the expansion project.

“We did that,” says manager Charles Reynolds. “In order to not dip into sales income these sales generate that goes toward our outreaches. The store still receives the usual $15 for each sale, but the extra dollar goes toward the project to expand both the shop and the outreach – especially the the expansion of our educational aspect mentioned in our mission statement.”

The goal also received a final push when a patron came in to make a clothing to the shop and learned of the project. When Beth Moseley heard that Phase One needed $170 more to hit its goal, she immediately gave the money to the store manager.

“I felt like an angel walked into the room,” said Anderson of the donation by Moseley. “I started crying.”

The five phase project is to culminate in the establishment of the Calling All Angels Complex. On the site is planned a two-story multifunctional building — which will house a much larger thrift store space, proposed offices for Pike County Hands of Hope, classroom space, and more — a congregate dining hall and a multi-unit temporary housing to benefit clients of Pike County Hands of Hope.

Along with the art auction, there are other ongoing efforts to raise money for phase one: a GoFundMe site to continue to raise money (which can be found at gofund.me/t75has ), items in the thrift shop where the sales go directly for the project, direct cash donations (which will all be reflected on the GoFundMe site) and a benefit concert is in the planning stage.

“Now comes the hard work for me,” said Reynolds, who is also the Secretary/Treasurer of the board. “I now need to identify grantmakers who match what we do and write the grant proposals. But it is worth it. Our community needs this.”

Information about the project can be found online at the Mission's website. (http://callingallangelsmission.webs.com/apps/blog/show/43304802-a-5-phase-project-to-expand)