405 Oak Street Building Campaign

For over 75 years, 405 Oak Street Center has been more than just a location for amazing AA meetings in Greater Cincinnati. For many of us it has been a second home, a place where inventories are shared and many of us have found "the fellowship we crave." Now, it needs your help.

 

405 Oak Street has always relied on passing the basket and coffee bar sales to meet its operating expenses. This has allowed us to keep the doors open, but hasn't been quite enough support to keep up the ongoing repair needs of a historic building. Special donations have allowed us to meet crisis situations as they arise, but meanwhile the building has slowly been creeping towards a place of disrepair. The 405 Oak Street Board would like to address a number of building repair and maintenance issues, so we are launching this campaign for support. Here are some of the ways we plan to use your donations.

 

Building Repair Needs:

   * Front porch stabilization, repair and re-tiling

  * Plumbing replacement and repair where necessary

   * Furnace and A/C updates and service (some units were recently replaced but others were not)

   * Roof, gutter and box gutter repairs

   * Masonry repair including tuck pointing

  * Exterior paint as needed 

  * Parking lot repair/replacement

   * Security and emergency equipment updates, including fire escape stair repair

  * Interior refresh if possible (carpet, paint, furniture)

 

It will take at least $200,000 to meet these needs. We realize this is a daunting amount, but these items were identified by a thorough process including estimates from a professional general contractor. This list represents only a portion of the suggested updates presented, but we see this campaign as the beginning of a new effort to become even more proactive and planful when it comes to the long-term integrity and safety of our building. 

It is because of a history of strong member support coupled with fiscally responsible leadership that we have kept our doors open for the new person for 75 years. We don't plan to stop now! As we move towards this financial goal, we will provide updates on work that is started and completed so that you can see how your support is being used.

 

Ultimately, 405 Oak is just a space where the program of Alcoholics Anonymous works its magic. Our goal is simply to keep that space well maintained, safe, and to create a welcoming environment for all AAs to find the steps. If 405 Oak has played an important role in your sobriety, or if you have simply attended meetings there now and again, we need your help. Every dollar counts - and we encourage anonymous donations!

 

Thank you for helping us to Keep 405 Alive. 

 

- the 405 Oak Street Center Board