Four months after settling into their new home at the intersection of 100 West and Walnut Lane, the Moab Valley Multicultural Center is launching a capital campaign to raise funds to purchase the property and adjacent land.

The local non-profit, formed four years ago, hopes to raise $500,000 to buy the building and community garden land next door, and to make improvements to the property, according to a news release from the group.

MVMC began a search for a new home when their rent was scheduled to increase steeply due to their landlords inability to continue a high level of in-kind support, the news release stated.

“Our criteria included affordability, adequate space for classes, at least two offices and a welcoming reception area, and location – easy accessibility to people served by MVMC, including children coming to afterschool programs,” said Sarah Heffron, MVMC’s executive director at the time of the move.

Because the building had not previously been used for commercial purposes, some improvements and changes are required, she said.

“Few spaces available for rent met the criteria of affordability, much less the other criteria,” Heffron said. “When we toured this salmon color house with a front porch and outdoor space for children to play and for a community garden, the whole staff was giddy.”

A wheelchair ramp and ADA-compliant bathroom had to be built at the facility in order to meet code requirements.

“That level of investment” spurred the consideration of a capital campaign to ensure a long-term home and future for MVMC, Heffron said.

MVMC moved in March, with the help of many volunteers, local business donors, and some in-kind contributions.

“The move has been greatly successful – English and Spanish classes practicing on the front porch and backyard; the summer literacy camp walking to the library, Dan O. Laurie [Museum of Moab], and the park; parents and children engaging in a hands-on nutrition classes in the kitchen; and over 20 households harvesting a bounty from their community garden plots,” said board president Jose Tejada.

Tejada recently raised more than $4,000 for the campaign with a rafting fund-raiser, according to the news release.

The $500,000 goal will cover the cost of the building and land, and will pay for energy-saving improvements such as replacing single-pane glass with energy efficient windows and doors to decrease operating costs, MVMC officials said. The money will also pay for a 600-square-foot portable classroom in the back of the building to accommodate the overflowing programs; a commercial kitchen for teaching healthy eating and for micro businesses; and for other expenses to ensure the purchase and improvements don’t impact program funds.

MVMC aims to raise at least $100,000 by mid-fall to have a base from which to apply for major capital grants, officials said. The remainder of the money must be raised in the form of a low-interest loan by the end of December.

MVMC intends to raise the full amount to pay back the loan over three years, according to the news release.

Anyone interested in helping or donating should contact MVMC Executive Director Kandee DeGraw, or visit MVMC’s website, moabvalleymulticulturalcenter.org.