Well, that hasn’t taken long. It was just this summer, June 9th when officials from the Carmi Compassion Center launched their Compassion Under Construction initiative aiming to raise $150,000 to help the organization purchase ground and build a new center. Tina Youngman and Mindy Dancz were guests to promote the CCC’s Sing Fundraiser and revealed they’re now within $20,000 of hitting the mark.
“We actually have an update on that. We are up to $130,000 which is amazing and we’re so, so grateful.”
Dancz says she didn’t realize it would materialize this quickly.
“I don’t think I realized it would happen this quickly. We started to reach out, meeting with people, explaining to them, this is how much we want to raise and this is what it’s for. We’ve gone around asking and the number just kinda grew and grew and grew. We’re grateful, of course we’re blown away by God’s goodness to just provide through the community of Carmi; to pour out what his kids need. We’re just blown away.”
The space the Carmi Compassion Center occupies, just behind the new Carmi Police station, leaders say they’ve already outgrown. Beyond that, since the move to that new location, the CCC is now serving over 400% more people than they did when they first opened their doors.
“We were averaging about 85 clients per month. We’re sitting at 300-400 per month now. It’s a lot of shoppers. The need is huge with everything being higher. Everything’s expensive. We don’t go by finances. We don’t check your pay stub. Anybody can come and shop at the Carmi Compassion Center.”
And with the group so close to that goal, their Sing Fundraiser scheduled for Sunday, November 12th will now go toward general operating expenses instead of the building campaign. Doors will open at 3pm on the 12th and will feature music from several of the area’s favorite singers.
“Laney York, Brian Cowling, 401 Youth from New Beginnings Church of God, Mark and LeAnn Rogers, Amanda Winter, and Miranda Dismang.”
There will also be a silent auction for desserts and even if you can’t make it to the event, plans are to make it available for folks to bid on those items through the Carmi Compassion Center facebook page.
