CLOSING THE GAP: Lawmakers present $20,000 for community building project
State Senators Mike Oliverio and Joey Garcia stopped by to present a $20,000 check to help the center build new ADA-accessible restrooms — a project they say will make the building more welcoming to every neighbor who walks through its doors. From left to right, Senators Joey Garcia and Mike Oliverio and Commissioner Jeff Arnett look over the Brookhaven Community Building's construction plans with council members Alice Wilmouth and Elena Dennis, right, on Tuesday evening. Cassidy Roark/ The Dominion Post
'Today we want to present you $20,000,' Oliverio said. 'We are excited about what you guys are doing, we know the hurdles you face in raising money.'
Garcia said backing community projects like this one is easy, 'when Senator Oliverio came to me about this, it was an easy yes.'
The check brings a boost for the project, which recently secured a $126,000 loan to get started. But, the Brookhaven Community Building still needs to raise about $106,000 to see it through.
Board members hope the community will help close that gap in a way that feels personal. A raffle is happening in memory of Cindy Blosser, the beloved board president who helped keep the building alive for years before her passing. The raffle winner will take home $3,000 in cash this October, but the real prize is knowing Cindy's legacy will live on in every gathering the center hosts.
'It's not easy raising money,' Oliverio said. 'But this place matters. We hope folks will hear about this and remember what the Brookhaven Community Building means to them.'
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