Crowdfunding Campaign: Help Us Improve Our Community Spaces!
Dear Community Members,
We’re thrilled to announce that Sanctuary has been selected for a state-funded grant that will match crowdfunding efforts 2-to-1. The program is called Biz-M-Power, and its purpose is to help small businesses in Massachusetts make critical improvements to their physical spaces. Having experienced our fair share of hardships during the pandemic, this grant is an opportunity for us to breathe new life into our beloved studio and transform Sanctuary’s common areas to support the next generation of students and teachers.
When we stepped in to assume management of Sanctuary during the early months of the pandemic, we believed in the power of its community. We wanted to expand upon Yoga Sanctuary founder Sara Rose Page’s original vision for a safe, affirming yoga studio. (In fact, Sara Rose originally planned to call the business "Sanctuary”, but ended up adding “Yoga” to the name after receiving a few too many calls from people looking for a wildlife sanctuary!) Over the past three years, the business has come full-circle, evolving from a yoga studio to a community space offering numerous healing practices. At the heart of this work has been much cultural and structural change. However, our commitment to making our services financially accessible for all means we have limited resources to make ongoing improvements to our space. We now have this amazing grant-funded opportunity to make some physical improvements to the studio, and we want to start by transforming our greeting area into a welcoming space with a warmth and vitality that soothes the soul.
With the funds raised, we hope to replace the minimalist furniture of our space with custom woodworking for a more grounded atmosphere and a greater harmony with the natural world. Additionally, we will bring in some much-needed color with a hand-painted mural by a local artist. Here is what we are hoping to achieve with your support:
Create a custom-built front desk with distinguished wood patterns and improved functionality for both students and staff.
Create a custom built-in administrative cabinet behind the front desk as well as live-edge wood shelving that will enable us to bring back a select offering of retail items.
Convert the old boutique space into an efficient storage closet so we can free up one additional bodywork room for rent and create much needed space for all the props we supply for our increased range of program offerings.
Create a dedicated and secure yoga mat storage space for our monthly members to conveniently leave their personal props at the studio.
Create a custom-built bookshelf to display the expanding selection of free resources available through our Community Library.
Apply a fresh coat of paint (yes, the colors will stay the same) to the walls in the big studio (because after nearly 15 years of inversion poses and legs-up-the-walls it's time to say goodbye to all the scuff marks).
Install an electrical outlet in the central pillar of the big studio so we can safely power the digital equipment for our online friends and remove the extension cords we’ve been using since the pandemic started.
We hope these improvements will allow us to be in better alignment with our renewed mission and vision for Sanctuary as a safe, affirming, and nourishing community center.
As new(ish) owners and operators of this long-standing business, we are committed to sustaining a culture and structure that supports both the professional and the individual community in the region. We put people over profit by channeling 100% of our profits towards our Scholarship Fund. Your participation and generosity in this crowdfunding campaign will allow us to continue that important work and break down old patterns of capitalism and exclusivity that persist in the yoga and self-care industries. The improvements we intend to make through this fundraiser will benefit our students, practitioners, and staff, and will directly support the functionality and atmosphere of this important community space we all hold so dearly–our Sanctuary!
Whether you are able to support us with a donation or by helping us spread the word on social media, we are grateful for your involvement. Any donation amount will make a big difference. We couldn’t do what we do without you.
Gratefully,
Lindsay & Jonathan
If you prefer to give offline, checks can be made out to Sanctuary and mailed to 150 Main Street, Northampton, MA 01060. If you have questions or inquiries please contact us at info@yoga-sanctuary.com
