ASHLAND – Associated Charities Executive Director Rosemarie Donley thanked the community for their support during a ribbon cutting at the charity’s new location Friday morning.
“This wouldn’t have happened without the community effort,” Donley said.
Associated Charities moved into its new home, the former Steiner building at 240 Cleveland Ave., in August, less than one year after beginning a fundraising campaign. In less than six months, the community donated the $1.5 million necessary for the project.
“I think the fact that we took such a visible building and made it shine again and gave it life was a huge part of opening the hearts of the giving people,” Donley said.
Founded in 1910, Associated Charities’ mission is to provide short-term emergency provisions and other programs for the community.
The Steiner Building was built in the 1920s as a car dealership but had largely sat unused for decades. Associated Charities purchased the building from the city of Ashland for $60,000 last year.
Construction started on March 11 and was mostly completed by the end of July.
“Probably four-fifths of the building came down. But what we preserved was really the brick and mortar of the building,” Donley said.
Associated Charities was formerly housed in a three-story building on South Street. Donley had been looking for a new location that would be more accessible to their clients for about six months when inspiration struck.
“I just happened to be sitting at the light going to work one morning, and the fire department had the door open and I thought, ‘I wonder what’s going on in there.’ And I drove in and the conversation ensued. It was like God just dropped it in our laps,” Donley said.
The charity has been operating in its new location for about a month, and the transition is going well.
“It has gone better than we hoped for,” Donley said. “It works exactly as we hoped for and probably just a little better.”
The front of the building features office space and the remainder of the building is warehouse space, a food pantry and rooms for other donated items.
Donley thanked her board and co-chairs Steve Englet and Greg Gorrell for their help with the campaign.
“This is a tremendous asset, not only for the people that Associated Charities serves, it’s an asset for the community as a whole, and especially downtown,” Ashland Mayor Glen Stewart said. “The front of this building has been preserved in a magnificent way.”
