If you have not visited the Thomas Merton Center in a while, now is the time to do so. The first phase of our Building Renovations Campaign is complete and we are well on our way to completing the second phase, but we still need your help.

The Thomas Merton Center has grown tremendously in the past couple of years, with membership doubling to over 1,000 households. We are also experiencing greater visibility in the community and our efforts are regularly featured in the local media. Our staff remains small and we rely on 10-15 interns who commit a set amount of hours assisting the staff on a daily basis. Numerous volunteers also donate their time to the work of the Center. Trying to make space to accommodate all the work being done at the Center has been a challenge, but a good one to have to deal with. At the board/staff retreat in March of 2003, the TMC decided to no longer rent out the apartments on the second and third floor. We then began to assess the best use of the building to fulfill TMC’s mission as a peace and justice resource and organizing center. A building renovations committee was formed. With the aid of a volunteer architect, the committee came up with the following plan:

Phase I: We decided to convert the second floor into needed office space for staff and interns. With the increased activity in the Merton Center, it had become nearly impossible for staff to work on the main floor without constant interruption. A solution needed to be found that did not stifle the work nor the excitement of new people to the movement coming into the center for assistance. Again, this is a good problem to have. We want our interns to have the tools needed to do the task they take on without compensation, tools like a desk, filing space, computer, etc. I am happy to report that the renovations on the second floor are now complete and all that remains is to move furniture, copy machine, etc. into the new offices. A special thanks to all who gave of their time and money to make this happen, including the Polito family who came in to paint almost every week for over a month. Thanks also to our technology intern, Mike Szczerban, the entire building will be "wired up" on a wireless system complete with a file server and DSL internet access.

Phase II: The first floor is being converted into a large meeting and hospitality space. This will enable visitors to the center to meet one another, discuss politics/current events and find out what is happening in the local progressive community. Another goal of the first floor renovations is to better display photos of our members in action at rallies, protests, vigils and other public events. The hope is that when one walks into the Thomas Merton Center or while one is attending a meeting or workshop, they will be in the midst of a visual display of the local progressive community in action. Newcomers will find it easier to plug into the work of the over 30 groups organizing out of the Merton Center and other allied groups in the Tri-State Region. Visitors will be able to curl up on a couch and read a book from the lending library or view a video at their leisure. Thanks to the generosity of TMC member Missy Monsour of M&M Painting who has volunteered to plaster and paint the first floor at no cost to TMC, we are well on our way to completing Phase II. However, we cannot do it without the commitment of our members’ time and money. Our goal is to raise another $10,000 for building renovations in 2004.

Phase III: The third floor is being renovated into office suites that can be rented out to allied organizations or used by TMC projects and campaigns needing the space. One organization has already expressed interest in using half of the third floor. There is a good chance that Phase III will be completed in 2004.

Phase IV: The best use of the basement is still being discussed, but it seems it will serve best as a work area and as back up meeting space when the Center is double or triple-booked as is more and more often the case.

A generous member has promised to give the Thomas Merton Center $ 5,000 if it can be matched by another $ 5,000 donor (or combination of donors). This money will be used specifically to lower or cancel the Center’s monthly mortgage payment. This erasing of the debt will free up more of the Center’s money for operating expenses.

We are thrilled by this vote of confidence and realization that the Thomas Merton Center’s best years are still ahead of us. Many of our long-standing members firmly believe that the foundation laid by the first 31 years of the Center’s existence is a lasting foundation built on solid ground and that our new growth is a real sign of hope. Most inspiring has been the presence of many younger members dedicated to using the tools of nonviolent resistance to war and violence in the world. This donation is part of an attempt to pass the torch on to the next generation, ensuring that the torch we pass is still burning brightly with the fuel of activists who have sustained the Thomas Merton Center since 1972.

So, if you are able and feel so moved to match this donation in whole or in part, do not hesitate to give TMC Executive Director, Tim Vining, a call at 412-361-3022 or send an email to tmc.director@verizon.net. If you have any questions or would like to discuss the needs of the Center in more detail, please feel free to contact Tim directly. These are both difficult and exciting times for the Thomas Merton Center as we struggle to build a mass movement that can be a prophetic and effective voice for peace in a troubled world.

- Tim Vining, Executive Director