Lift Us Up!
The Campaign for Our Future
In the winter of 2020 our congregation voted unanimously to embark on a capital campaign that will make substantial improvements to our building: installing an elevator to make our entire building accessible, renovating our Religious Education space, and making necessary repairs to the roof above it. We are currently in the process of raising money for these excited and needed projects, and hope you will do everything you can to support this effort!
Please welcome the call from your canvasser when they reach out to you. They are looking forward to speaking with you about our faith community, answering your questions, and asking for your support. We need everyone’s help in order to make our Lift Us Up! campaign a success!
If you are ready to give and haven’t been contacted by a canvasser, or if you have questions for campaign leaders, please contact co-chairs Zan Spaihts-Mohns or Paul Floyd, or campaign treasurer Carolyn Hart.
Our campaign was scheduled to begin just as COVID-19 hit. Here’s a short video of Zan announcing our campaign relaunch!
Project Details and Cost Estimates
Create Accessibility for Our Entire Building $250,000
Elevator to access three floors, with four stops
Ramp to make chancel in sanctuary accessible
Renovate Upstairs & Religious Education Space: $225,000
Higher ceilings, fewer walls, more glass & light
Improve one restroom and add another
Create a larger chapel space for children, youth, & adults too!
Improve ventilation upstairs and in the sanctuary
Replace Slate Roof over Renovated Area $77,000
Architecture, Engineering, & Project Management $50,000
10% Contingency $50,000
Estimated Total $652,000
"I was a young girl when my grandmother, Rev. Janet Bowering, was the minister here. Back then I heard adults talking about the need for an elevator. This church has been talking about this project for thirty years. I hope that now is the time!” —Laura Morley
“Years ago a community leader told me, ‘Haverhill needs the UU church to be strong.’ We have a long history of helping those in need and making ours a better world. I am so excited about this project and how it can help us to do even more good here.” —Rev. Frank Clarkson
“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for my church. It is my source of strength, support, and spiritual growth. Supporting this capital campaign will ensure that UUCH’s doors will be open and accessible to everyone for years to come.” —Sarina Ryan
“My husband Mike first brought me to UUCH when we were dating 20 years ago. It’s one of the reasons I fell in love with him. Since then, our family has marked many milestones with this beloved community: our wedding, a baby shower (thanks Ladies Circle!), our son Nate's dedication, my aunt Millie's and my mom's memorial services. My mother adopted UUCH as her second church home, and I love that she loved it here so much.” —Carolyn Hart
“The love coursing through this congregation reminds us that the world can be bright, even in the face of chaos and pain. Our community has so much to look forward to, and that's what this project is all about. We are affirming with certainty that joy and justice are on their way.” —Clare Fortune-Lad, Director of Religious Education
