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JAMESTOWN, NY (WNY News Now) – Construction of a new women’s shelter in Jamestown has hit a roadblock after crews discovered more asbestos than they were anticipating, hiking the final price tag for the project. However, volunteers are now coming forward to help raise money.
“We have right now, estimates of anywhere from $85,000 to $200,000,” explained Jeff Rotunda, UCAN City Mission, Executive Director. “It’s not an inexpensive process.”
The United Christian Advocacy Network, or UCAN for short, has supported the area’s homeless men since 2017. They announced plans to build a women’s shelter at an old factory in downtown Jamestown last year. Construction was going well, until now.
“That was our biggest hang up really,” said Rotunda. “Until we had some other individuals from the community step forward.”
Since learning of the set back, locals with the Ascension Leadership Academy have stepped up to help.
“Right now, we have eight days left and we are committed to rising $50,000, and we’ve already raised at least $10,000,” said Kacyn Cheney with the Ascension Leadership Academy.
Using social media, volunteers have had success raising money from everyday people via a special fundraising webpage alaeq.com/ucan.
“No donation is too small, because everything adds up,” continued Cheney.
When complete, the new shelter would provide 85 beds specifically for women and children, helping them escape unsafe motels with crime, drugs, and sex trafficking.
“That has now opened the doors for us to start this abatement, get some things rolling, and once all these pieces really start to come into place, it’s really going to snowball and move forward fairly quickly,” said Rotunda.
Once the funding is secured, and an abatement company is hired, construction is expected to resume within a month-or-so. The full project is slated to be complete in early 2024.
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