Dorr Township Supervisor Jeff Miling reported Thursday evening that the VanSingel Foundation has made out a $3,000 check to the Township Library to help with its fund-raising efforts to move the Then & Now Historical Library.
The library itself, led by Director Natalie Bazan, has raised about $16,000 in Arts Alive contest funding to help Then & Now move out of its current facility near the corner of 142nd Avenue and 18th Street to a new wing at the library further north on 18th Street.
Linda Stoepker of Then & Now explained that the historical service has been using the old library site that at one time was the old township hall, but its days may be numbered because the Township Board someday might want to unload it to get it on the tax rolls.
Then & Now uses the building now without charge, but Stoepker said she understands that beneficial arrangement may have to come to an end because of financial considerations.
The library has agreed to have an addition built to its facility to house the historical service. The project cost has been estimated at about between $45,000 and $55,000, fund-raising efforts picked up almost 40 percent of the financial support needed.
The Arts Alive competition, sponsored by the Allegan County Community Foundation, is an annual affair where the foundation selects deserving non-profit organizations to participate in a voting competition. Each organization is awarded one dollar for every vote and the top five receive an extra $4,000 each.
Stoepker, said last year, “We have had some very generous donations from some of our members so far, but we have a long way to go. Natalie Bazan has applied for several grants to help our cause.”
Bazan promised Then & Now officials and volunteers,“All of the funds collected will be used for the Then & Now building fund.
“We are thrilled to have the chance to partner with you to provide the community with a brand new space to accommodate the amazing work you do for the community, county and anyone who is interested in their own or our community’s history,” Bazan said to Stoepker.
“As a former history major, I believe that we do have a responsibility to preserve our past and share it with our future. Sharing history makes it real and helps people feel connected to events, people and places of the past.”
Anyone who would like to make a contribution for finding Then & Now a new home may call (616) 681-0333 Wednesdays from 1 to 5 p.m. or Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
