Kinship hits first of three fundraising goals in journey to purchase historic Bradley Bank building

TOMAHAWK – One phase down, two to go.

Kinship of Tomahawk, the community’s longtime youth mentorship program, is looking to relocate to the historic Bradley Bank building downtown, and it recently hit the first of three fundraising goals.

Over the last three decades, Kinship has impacted more than 500 local kids and families.  

The organization has been based at 27 E. Wisconsin Ave., behind Crossbridge Community Bank, for many years. Citing the small size of its current space and the desire to grow as an organization, Kinship in April set its sights on acquiring the Bradley Bank property at 227 W. Wisconsin Ave., after Associated Bank closed its branch there.

Under a tentative agreement with Associated Bank, Kinship had to raise about $300,000.00 by early July to purchase the property. Kinship made this goal the first of three phases in its fundraising efforts, and last month, through donations of all sizes from individuals, families and organizations, they hit the mark.

Kinship said Executive Director Patti Hilgendorf was “thrilled” to announce that a $30,000.00 contribution put the organization over the top.

But the work isn’t done yet.

Now, Kinship is shifting its focus to phases two and three of fundraising.

In phase two, the organization will seek to raise $150,000.00 to renovate the building’s interior. Safety updates will be made, and new furniture, appliances and technology will be purchased.

The final phase of the plan will see $50,000.00 allocated to exterior work, including the creation of greenspace, the addition of fencing and the construction of a garage.

By moving to the Bradley Bank property, Kinship said it will be able to expand tutoring and academic support programs; provide a dedicated space for mentor-mentee meet-ups and group activities; host life skills classes for youth, such as cooking, budgeting and career preparation; offer family support services, including parent workshops and resource nights; create community events and after-school programming; open new youth leadership opportunities and peer-led initiatives; and provide private meeting rooms for guidance, support and referrals.

Kinship will continue to accept donations as it works to hit its phase two and three fundraising goals.

To learn more about Kinship’s fundraising efforts, or to make a donation, visit the organization’s GoFundMe page at www.tinyurl.com/29n8e7jm. 

For more information about Kinship of Tomahawk, including mentorship success stories, visit www.kinshiptomahawk.org/.