Lift Us Up! Capital Campaign
Our Capital Campaign is completed!
The past five years have seen one of the biggest undertakings at the Universalist Unitarian Church of Haverhill in many decades. Through our Lift Us Up! Capital Campaign, our community helped us to give new life to our upstairs spaces, and to make our whole building accessible to all.
Aging Infrastructure, Limited Accessibility
In 2019, our church building was in need of some significant updates. Our aging slate roof was in need of replacement, and our upstairs space was divided into tiny classrooms with worn homasote walls. Some of its beautiful stained glass windows had been covered over for decades. Most importantly, we had no elevator, leaving that entire upstairs, as well as the lower level where many community services reside, inaccessible to anyone who can’t comfortably use stairs.
Big Needs, Ambitious Goals
The price tag on this project was daunting–our initial goal was $650,000. Early fundraising exceeded expectations, but the pandemic hit and construction costs rose to $850,000 even as the pandemic caused some community members to struggle financially. But throughout, our community responded with enthusiasm!
Rebuilt for Our Future
In the fall of 2024 the last details in our renovation of UUCH were completed!
Our new features include an elevator to the lower-level Community Drop-In Center, the Open Hand Food Pantry, Community Meals, the Warming Center, and meetings for addiction recovery groups.
Or, you can take a ride up to our new rooms upstairs, full of light from stained glass windows where our children play on Sundays and adults gather in the new chapel for meditation, reflection, and grief support.
New community groups such as Girl Scouts, Music Together, and a women’s wellness program are now using our beautiful new space. A new sprinkler system and roof keep all of these gatherings safe and dry.
If you haven’t been to our church building recently, we hope you’ll find an opportunity to visit soon! Take a ride in our new elevator and explore our new rooms—peek into the playroom where our youngest children play on Sunday morning, enjoy the stained glass in the great room, or take a quiet moment in our chapel.
Supported by the Haverhill Community
We are so grateful for everything that has been given to our community and the groups we support. More than 112 individuals and families, both within our congregation and the wider community, gave generously.
Pentucket Bank, Eastern Bank, and the Haverhill Savings Bank all donated in support of the project. The Wadleigh Foundation, which supports services in Haverhill for the elderly and indigent, gave substantial support for our elevator.
In the end, thanks to all these contributors, we raised a total of $867,853, and we are delighted to say that we fully funded the project without leaving debt for future generations.
With our recent additions of a new boiler and radiator repairs, and a new floor in the lower-level in the areas used by the Drop-in Center and Open Hand Food Pantry, UUCH is in great condition. With thanks to the Wadleigh Foundation and generous member and friend donations, these upgrades have also been fully funded. We are eternally grateful.
