Evangeline Funeral Co-op officially launches fundraising campaign for $160,000 expansion

Members challenged to invest $100 in their shares

URBAINVILLE, PEI – May 31, 2012 – The campaign to raise $160,000 for the expansion at Evangeline Funeral Co-operative is officially launched! Money has already started rolling in.

Ernest Gallant, chair of both the co-op and its finance committee, said several considerable amounts have already been contributed or promised, which he considers a good sign of things to come.

Seeking to pay for a 1,380-square-foot expansion to the Urbainville funeral home, the campaign consists of several facets.

“First, our 1,000 members are being challenged to invest an additional minimum of $100 – or more – into their share account,” explained the chairman. “Please note that these amounts are not donations but rather investments into the co-op; the money still belongs to the member. Then, when the member passes away, the total investment plus interest will help cover the member’s funeral costs.”

If every member accepted the challenge, the co-op would have an additional $100,000 to work with – almost two-thirds of the required amount.

OPTIONS

Members have several investment options. They can invest a lump sum or make weekly, biweekly, monthly or yearly payments for a predetermined period. Investment forms are available at the Evangeline-Central Credit Union in Wellington as well as at the funeral home in Urbainville. For the next four months, office hours at the home will be extended every Friday from 1-8 p.m. to help with the campaign. Those who cannot make it Fridays can contact manager Adrien Arsenault at 854-2828 to set up an appointment.

Secondly, all residents of the territory served by the co-op – Evangeline, Richmond, Grand River-Lot 16 and Miscouche areas – will receive an invitation to join the co-op. To become a member, a person must purchase a $50 share; new members will be encouraged to buy at least two shares each.

The names of all members having invested $500 or more will be engraved on a special plaque, to be placed at the funeral home.

Next, businesses, corporations and organizations will be invited to make donations to the co-op’s expansion fund. Names of contributors will also be inscribed on an Honorable Friends plaque. Pictures of larger donations will be sent to media.

Finally, the co-op will also accept regular and memorial donations at the home during wakes.

“The fundraising committee would like to be able to meet its financial objective in the next few months so that construction could begin this year. However, that will depend entirely on the volume of investments and donations we receive,” concluded the chairman.

The expansion will include, among other things, the construction of a new wake room, the expansion of the former wake room to transform it into a waiting room, the expansion of the kitchenette and the construction of two new offices, one on each site of the main entrance.

-30-

CUTLINE: J. Earle Arsenault of Wellington, right, presents his $1,000 investment, which will be placed in his share account with the Evangeline Funeral Co-op, to Finance Committee members Freda Perry and president Ernest Gallant (Lisa Arsenault is absent from photo). This amount will help the co-op with its expansion project.

For more information:

Ernest Gallant
Chairman
(902) 854-2558

Adrien Arsenault
Manager
(902) 854-2828

Leave Comment

Votre adresse e-mail ne sera pas publiée. Les champs obligatoires sont indiqués avec *