Cookie Decorating With Pleasantville Girl Scouts
On February 16, 2022, PvilleYI Co-Founder Emily Caulkins taught our local Pleasantville Girl Scout Troop 624. It was a ton of fun! The Girl Scouts learned a little bit about the science of baking, as well as techniques for decorating sugar cookies like a pro.
The cookies and frosting the Girl Scouts used were made at our cookie decorating class the night before, where we taught teens how to mix, roll out, cut, and bake sugar cookies.
We were so happy to spend time with all these happy, smiling faces! We’re proud of these Girl Scouts and congratulations on getting your baking badges!
Building Updates
June 3, 2022 Update
Wondering where we're at with our building project? We've raised $115,000 toward our goal! That's HUGE! Of course, it's only a drop in the bucket toward our whole goal. However, the more we raise in this way, the more likely we are to receive higher donations and grants, most of which are matching or require a percentage of funds to be raised.
We're sure tired of seeing the building empty and sad looking. We're sure you are too! But we want to assure you that we are working HARD to get this project started. GOOD things will be happening there. People will find comfort, guidance, resources, and JOY in that place. We will not stop until it happens!
Co-Founders Emily and Jennie, as well as our board members, are constantly researching, applying, contacting, and connecting. In the meantime, we're also doing research on how to best serve our community as a whole (more on that soon).
We'd like to remind our community that we WILL complete this project, and ask for your continued support both financially and prayerfully.
Lots and lots of good things to come. Get excited, Pleasantville! Please reach out if you have any questions at all about what we're doing.
If you'd like to see the whole building plan proposal, you can read it here: https://www.canva.com/design/DAEp_1__b-8/view
April 26, 2022 Update
January 2022 Updates:
Our fundraising is in full-swing! Take a look at our Building Project Proposal. You can download it here:
As we begin the first phase of our building project, we want to keep the community updated. We hosted a community meeting where we explained our plans for our new location at the old Pleasantville Grocery Store. You can watch that meeting in its entirety (its about 40 minutes once we start talking) or you can read below the video for a summary.
Community Meeting Summary:
To get started, it’s important to understand what PvilleYI is all about!
We have been up to a lot in the Pleasantville Community over the last few years, from hosting events to meeting needs. This summer we are adding feeding kids to our list, too! Here’s some basic info, but look for more info soon on that!
So, if PvilleYI is already doing great things, why do we need a building anyways? Well, we have BIGGER goals for Pleasantville! While we primarily focus on youth, we see ourselves as a Generational Enrichment Ministry. This means we want to reach out to others in the community as well. We also recognize that by positively impacting a person’s life, we can create a positive path for generations after them.
In order to do this, we need a headquarters to work out of and space to achieve our big goals for both the youth and the community, which are summarized below.
So what’s the plan for the old grocery store? To start, let’s go over the building’s current condition. Mike Caulkins is heading up our construction research. Based on what he has found and confirmed with the professionals he has brought in to observe the building, there is not much that can be done to salvage the store as it is. In fact, he was told that it would take 3 masons an entire year working exclusively on the building just to make the space usable. Below are pictures of the current state of the basement of the building.
From Mike’s research, we understand that it would cost much more to “renovate” the building. Plus, there’s so much damage that there would really be nothing left of the old building after the renovation. The best solution is to demo the old building and rebuild in the same footprint.
Before we continue, we want the community to know that we value the history of this location. In fact, we hope to bring it back to some of it’s original glory when we rebuild. Below you can see how much the location has changed over the years, going from a hotel to what we know today.
Below is our first look at the next phase of this location: PvilleYI’s headquarters.
This is a big project, but we serve a BIG God. We are passionate about making this dream a reality and serving Pleasantville, but it’s going to take a lot of work. We also know that relying on donations alone is not a sustainable model for building upkeep and ministry. With that in mind, we have a sustainability plan that will not only help us maintain the building and do ministry, but it will benefit the community as well!
The upper section of our building will have a co-working space and a commercial office space. If you aren’t familiar with co-working spaces, they are the newest way to get work done without the distractions of home. Individuals can rent a spot for the day, or pay a monthly fee to use it when they want. There will also be a conference room to be reserved for meetings. More on this will be revealed as we get closer! Below are some examples of co-working spaces, just to give you an idea of what they are.
This project is estimated to cost 1.6 million dollars. Which, we know, is a lot of money! How exactly do we plan to raise that much money? We hope to raise at least $250,000 of those funds from Pleasantville community support. This will give us a base to apply for grants, as most grants require a percentage of the funds to be raised before the grant application is considered. We will present our vision to businesses, apply for grants, and host events to help us reach our goals. We are praying for God to provide, and we plan to work hard to do our part to make it happen!
Individuals who would like to donate can do so in many ways. Donate online through our website or through Facebook (there are no fees with Facebook donations), Venmo @pvilleYI, mail us: PO Box 295 Pleasantville, IA, create and throw your own fundraiser, and employer matches.
We want to be a light in the Pleasantville community. A place where loneliness is forgotten, where shame is stripped away, and where opportunities abound. We can’t wait to get started! Keep checking back for more updates!
Over 3,000 Meals Distributed to Pleasantville Kids & Teens
This summer, PvilleYI partnered with Knoxville Youth Food Initiative (KYFI) and St Pauls United Methodist Church to deliver free meals to Pleasantville’s Kids and Teens. KYFI delivered around 100 meals each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to Saint Paul’s Family Center where PvilleYI and church volunteers worked together to distribute the meals.
At the summer’s end, we had distributed over 3,000 meals in Pleasantville. This is an incredible blessing to the children, teens, and to their families.
We cannot thank KYFI enough for all they are doing in Marion County, and for letting us partner with them in this work. We are also so incredibly grateful to the folks at St. Paul’s, for not only letting us using their facility but for showing up each and every MWF to help. What an incredible example of being the hands and feet of Jesus!
We will continue to partner with KYFI for at least the next 5 years to supply Pleasantville kids and teens with much needed nutrition during the summer!
Happy Fourth of July from PvilleYI!
Wow! We were SO excited to have our 4th of July festivities back this year. Covid-19 was on the rampage in 2020 but thankfully we can carefully begin to get back to some sort of normal again. We are super THANKFUL for all the many essential employees who have worked so hard during this trying time.
We are extra thankful for our freedoms, this year!
Happy 4th of July from PvilleYI! We loved tossing candy and fun patriotic novelties as well!
Virtual Giving Envelopes: On Our Way To The First 250K
When our community comes together, things get done. It's as simple as that. We've seen it time and time again. And Pleasantville, it's time!
With the large amount we have to fundraise to make our building project a reality, we have to start with a strong base. Our first goal is a big one: $250K. This seed money will be vital. Most large donors and grants require a percentage of funds to be raised before an organization's application is considered.
To become eligible for big funding, we need your help. Would you prayerfully consider donating to one of these "envelopes" to help us launch our fundraising efforts in a big way?
Every donation makes a difference, and the clock is ticking. We want to get this place built and in action so that we can begin meeting the very real needs in our community.
Just this week members of our team have had dozens of conversations with community members, parents, and teens who tell us how desperately their children or friends need the kinds of programs and opportunities PvilleYI is preparing to offer.
Maybe you don't have teens yet. Maybe your kids are still young, or even babies! All the more reason for you to support this effort TODAY, for the future of your little ones who, before you know it, will be teens.
Maybe your kids are grown and out of school. Have you heard about the awesome things we are planning to do for the whole community? You'll want to give, because this project will positively impact the ENTIRE community.
We know our goal is big. But Pleasantville, we are going to do this. We are passionate. We are determined. We are equipped. We are READY.
Every single person who donates will have their name added to a beautiful mural we will paint inside our building.
To give, you can donate online on our website, on Facebook (zero fees!), or via Venmo: Pvilleyi. You can also mail a check to Pleasantville Youth Initiative PO Box 529 Pleasantville, IA 50225.
PLEASANTVILLE YOUTH INITIATIVE IS A 501 (C) (3) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.
EIN IS 47-5099903
DLN # IS 29053252330009
Donation "Envelopes"
400 People donating $25
200 People donating $50
200 People donating $100
100 People donating $500
20 People donating $1,000
10 People donating $5,000
5 People donating $10,000
Homecoming 2020
2020 has been a year for the history books. And not for good reasons. But we are all doing what we can to make the best of it! Even though we can’t have Homecoming the way we usually do around here, we found other ways to bring joy. For example, sure, we couldn’t throw candy during the annual Homecoming parade, but we found the next best thing: BUBBLES!
Our theme was “PvilleYI is Bubbling Over with School Spirit”! We had three bubble machines on high blasting bubbles around like confetti! We had a truck full of kids waving and we went all out in our orange and black!
We wore masks to be extra safe and comply to the school’s guidelines with the COVID-19 pandemic. If you saw Jennie without hers on, she wasn’t being rebellious, it fell off and landed in the bubble bucket. Oops. :)
We love our town’s fun traditions, and we were happy to get to participate this year even if it was a little different than usual.
