STEP 1:
Accessible Washroom
*still fundraising
STEP 2:
Automatic Doors
*begun fundraising
STEP 3:
Exterior Ramp
*looking for grants
Over the past few years our church has felt more and more convicted to do something about the lack of accessibility to our building. We have had a commitment to minister to the people in our neighbourhood, many of whom deal with issues surrounding poverty, addiction and mental health, but one group has unfortunately been overlooked: those who experience physical disabilities. This is unfortunate because our neighbourhood also has a greater frequency of physical disability than the rest of Kingston due to numerous government subsidized housing units that are also accessible. A number of this group of people have expressed that they would like to attend Rustle and its events, but are unable to get up the stairs to our building.
We realize we are late to the party in addressing accessibility, in some ways we have been overly focused on addressing some of the other issues of our neighbourhood (Food Security, Housing, Fentanyl Crisis). However, the costs associated with installing a ramp and accessible washrooms have always seemed daunting to our modest budget. That said, we recently have had a very motivated congregant who has helped us put together a plan to make Rustle accessible.
Our plan is to install a ramp and to turn an underused office into an accessible bathroom. We have been excited about the possibilities of this project as we believe it will help a marginalized part of our community to hear the gospel, be given access to real community and friendship, and offer full access to our food programs and other events. Finally, the accessible washroom will have a second benefit in making bathroom trips easier for parents with young children.
The cost for this project will come to a total of $130,000. We have recently secured a grant for $25,000 and have applied and are waiting to hear from two other grant-providing bodies, however, these grants will not cover the full cost of the project. Therefore we are also fundraising to help cover the costs for the needed bathroom, doors, and ramp. If you are interested in contributing to this effort, please donate today.
