Needs
We have needs! Pandemic-related restrictions on in-person classes and events have limited our ability to bring in revenue over the past two years. We have had to prioritize our limited funds for non-discretionary operational costs, requiring us to defer several critical facilities upgrades and other investments. We are now asking for community support to make critical, one-time investments that will help us continue to provide enriching cultural experiences for years to come.
$6,000 to replace our two existing air conditioners. The Center (which is about 3,500 square feet) currently only has two window unit air conditions. Both are past their useful life and often fail. Summer temperatures in Sacramento can reach 110 degrees. On a weekend in the summer of 2021, while the event hall was rented for a baby shower, it could not be cooled below 90 degrees. Modern air conditioners would allow us to hold dance classes during the heat of the afternoon without students overheating and would make our event hall a much more desirable space to rent, thereby increasing our revenue-generating capacity.
$4,000 to add a third air conditioning unit. We currently do not have an air conditioning unit located in our kitchen, making it extremely uncomfortable on hot days. Adding an air conditioner to our kitchen would greatly increase its value as a rentable space and make working there much more tolerable for our volunteers.
$7,000 to replace our outdoor stage, the floorboards of which have become warped and uneven due weather damage and age.
$5,000 to add an awning to our outdoor stage. This will help protect the new stage from weather damage and provide sun cover to allow us to hold outdoor classes during the summer, thereby increasing our available classroom space.
$1,800 to repair our indoor dance studio floor because it is peeling up in places.
$2,610 to replace a broken oven, $2,050 to purchase a professional-grade deep fryer which we do not currently have, and $3,600 to expand our refrigerator capacity to allow us to begin selling South American fruit juices. These investments will help us to build our sustainable revenue stream to support our arts programs.
$2,500 to buy materials (such as feathers, beads, fabric, and rhinestones) to make new costumes and $1,265 to buy new drums for our samba dance and drumming performance group. Giving our costumes and drum ensemble a refresh will help us to continue to showcase this dazzling artform and sell out events.
Please help us by donating generously this Big Day of Giving!