Upstairs Update!!

Background

At long last, we have an update on the status of our Upstairs Renovation progress! This summer after much deliberation with our Board of Directors and our landlord, we made the decision to expand into the second floor of our building on 5th Street. While huge (4,000+ sq ft) and exciting, the space did need some work to make it functional. So, we began the Help Us Up fundraising campaign which so many of you generously contributed to. During the process we began working with a new architect (both of them have been fantastic, but it became clear that we'd need someone local), and thus had some new developments on the exit requirements from the second floor. While we waded through the many possibilties for egress, we paused our fundraising efforts until we had a clear picture of what the new exit plan was and the associated costs.

Well, it's good news! We are adding a metal fire escape staircase to the back (parking lot) side of the building, and are just $3,000 short of our fundraising goal. As we approach Giving Tuesday and the holidays, we are confident we can raise the remaining funds by the end of the year. Click here to donate now!

Progress

We have extended our lease, agreed to renovation terms with our landlord, and submitted our building permit to the city. We are ready for action! In the meantime, we spent a week this fall sanding the floors upstairs. We are adding a finish to the floors now (like, literally now. Adam is there up to his elbows in 5 gallon buckets of polyurethane). Desks and the new computers will move upstairs this week. Ceiling insulation is being installed 11/27, and HVAC is scheduled for December. Once we finish the floors we will paint, add the dividing wall between the classroom and computer lab, and replace four windows. The last steps will be building a smoke enclosure around the existing stairs, installing bathroom fixtures, and building the pre-fab fire escape. We aim to have all of this done in early 2018. 

Next Steps

We are busy building, and we could use some help! The top priority is the remaining $3,000 we need to finish the space. We'll also need a few volunteers for painting and drywall. Below are a few ways you can help:
- Giving Tuesday 
If you are making donations, consider a gift to Vector Space
- Holiday Gifts
Many are leaning away from toys and trinkets, and instead making meaningful memories and contributions for the holidays. Consider a donation, a gift membership, or even a family workshop!
- Employer Matching
If you decide to make a monetary gift, ask whether your employer has a matching program. This applies for any nonprofit giving!
- Amazon Smile
Help while you shop! Shop at Amazon Smile and select Vector Space as your charity of choice to give back 
- Kroger Plus Rewards
Visit the Kroger website to link your card to Vector Space (#91070), and each time you shop you will support our organization
- Volunteer
We will be looking for help with painting and drywall in the next two months. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date!

Vector Space is a 501(c)(3) organization and all donations are tax deductible. Thank you for your support, you are making such a difference in our community. We'll see you upstairs!!!