City Survival Center capital campaign increases to $1.15M

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

NORTHAMPTON - Complications in the Northampton Survival Center's expansion and a successful first six months of fundraising have spurred the organization to increase its capital campaign goal from $850,000 to $1.15 million.

Citing recently discovered structural issues and new state regulations that will increase the costs of expanding the Prospect Street building, Survival Center Executive Director Heidi Nortonsmith said the project will be more costly than previously expected.

"We're extraordinarily grateful to the people and businesses of Hampshire County who have pledged $920,000 to the campaign so far," Nortonsmith said. "We are confident that community members will provide the additional funds we need to ensure that we are able to serve everyone who needs our help, now and in the future."

In addition to new state fire safety regulations requiring that certain sprinkler systems be installed in all new buildings, Nortonsmith said interior structural problems and an outside walkway recently requested by the city has increased the project's overall price tag.

"We're gutting portions of the building and found that we need to shore up some walls that we didn't originally think would need to be," Nortonsmith said. "As we move forward with the project, the cost for completion has become clearer."

Capital campaign

The capital campaign was launched in March. The project will expand the Survival Center's building at 265 Prospect St. by about 2,000 square feet, nearly doubling the current space.

Plans include reconfiguring the center's administrative offices, such as adding a seminar and workshop space, to provide education for people on topics such as economical food shopping and healthy meal preparation, according to Nortonsmith. The renovation also will include more private meeting spaces for clients seeking the center's services.

The center began operating out of the basement of the former Vernon Street School before moving to its current location in 1985. During the past two years, it has seen a 23 percent increase in the number of people seeking a monthly food allotment, which provides four days worth of food per person.

The Survival Center is an emergency food provider and referral service serving 18 communities in Hampshire County. Its staff of three full-time and three part-time employees and 400 active volunteers distribute a daily average of 2,000 pounds of food to more than 4,100 community members.

The center also runs a Kids' Summer Food Program, providing groceries for tens of thousands of meals, bridging the summer nutrition gap for children who rely on subsidized meals during the school year.

Individuals and businesses interested in supporting the campaign may call Nortonsmith at 586-6564 for a tour of the center and a review of the updated architectural plans.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.