Save The Fringe Coffee House and Re-Entry Program

 

 

Hey Fringe family,

 

Unfortunately we have some hard and heavy news. The Fringe Coffee Shop and Re-Entry Program is in grave danger of permanently closing. We have been struggling to make ends meet for quite some time now. We have been taking money from personal funds to sustain The Fringe and it is getting detrimental to our family and is not sustainable. As you know our biggest challenge is not having a drive-through which drastically affects the business. On top of that we are in the middle of a pandemic and inflation is at nearly 7% which have caused the prices of everything to sky rocket as you know.

 

For those of you who don't know the Fringe is far more than a coffee shop we are a re-entry program designed to support and empower those being released from prison, a music therapy program inside Ohio prisons, we also feed the homeless and help connect them with housing resources, host recovery meetings and help those battling addiction find support and treatment and so much more. We also have many different avenues of youth programming as well. All of this requires time and resources. All of the amazing outreach that happens at The Fringe has happened with nearly zero outside support. There have been a few churches and individuals along the way who have helped and we are so grateful for you. We would have never made it this far without you. Any organization that does half of what we do has consistent funding and support, which we don't.

 

When we launched the shop we were structured as an LLC. Unfortunately that drastically limits our access to funding, grants and resources. Because of that we have recently decided the best next step is to convert to a 501 (c) 3 non-profit. Thankfully recently someone offered to do all of our conversion paperwork and process free of charge. But we have to survive until then. We are barely holding on tooth and nail. Would you consider helping us make it to the other side of this battle? These funds will go to sustain operating costs and payroll as we make our transition from an LLC to a non-profit. We believe Hamilton and the world is a better place because of The Fringe. We believe those we serve are worth fighting for and investing in and we will fight for them until the bitter end. We believe so much good has come to our community as a result of the Fringe. Addicts have found sobriety and purpose, the homeless have experience dignity, worth and found their way off the streets and those returning to society after incarceration have found a job, a sense of purpose and a new community to rebuild their life with. And not only that.. The Fringe has become a place of convergence, community, conversation and compassion for people from all walks of life... and that my friend is worth fighting for. Would you join the battle?

We also have a petition on Change.org we are trying to get permission from the city to get a drive-thru, which would help immensely. Here's where you can sign: https://chng.it/CqHwdVth

 

Grace and Peace,

 

Sarah and Patrick Davis

www.thefringecoffeehouse.com