Who imagined we would drive past our normally thriving Sierra 2 Center and see its lights dimmed, the parking lot devoid of cars, with not a soul walking in or out the doors?
This is what the coronavirus pandemic has brought to our neighborhood. You can help reverse this unfortunate course of events with your generous donation on the May 7 Big Day of Giving.
Forty years ago, the Curtis Park community rallied to save Sierra School. What started as a local project is now a cultural resource – not only for the neighborhood but also for the Sacramento region. We are asking you to come together again to help revive our historic Sierra 2 Center for the Arts & Community.
Where once dancers practiced all Sierra 2 needs generosity of neighbors in time of crisis evening, where seniors gathered for friendship and crafts, where the theater bustled with young actors and their attentive parents, where newlyweds were toasted, grads cheered, where all manner of activities and events kept the building busy from morning to night, seven days a week, there has been quiet – no gathering of friends, students, companions or families since late March.
Although SCNA is a nonprofit, it operates the Sierra 2 Center like a business with multiple tenants and daily and monthly users that in a normal month bring in revenue of nearly $80,000 a month. This revenue in turn supports a staff of 13 and a plethora of services to keep the building operating and maintained. Like businesses throughout our community, we have seen our revenue stop cold. Layoffs and staff cutbacks have ensued.
SCNA estimates $25,000 revenue loss from canceled home tour
Some of our most valued neighborhood activities, including the Egg Hunt and annual Home & Garden Tour, have been canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions. The Home Tour alone resulted in a $25,000 revenue loss, money that normally helps fund other popular activities such as Music in the Park. This on top of the $25,000 monthly loss we are experiencing by maintaining a skeletal staff and paying for utilities and other essential services with reduced revenue. For a neighborhood association like ours, these are no small losses and setbacks.
But we are confident Curtis Park neighbors will help turn the lights back on during the May 7 Big Day of Giving fund drive. Money raised will help support areas of greatest need, to assure the Sierra 2 Center will be ready and welcoming when we are allowed to reopen.
Let’s get the dancers dancing again, the learners learning, families celebrating, the bards filling the theater stage. Your donation to the Big Day of Giving campaign will help bring the community back to our community center.
Here’s how you can give: Donate at bigdayofgiving.org/sierra2center on May 7. Or if you prefer, mail checks made payable to SCNA at 2791 24th St., Sacramento, CA 95818. Or stop by Sierra 2 Center on Thursday, May 7th from 10am to 2pm to donate in person.
Kathy Les is vice president of SCNA and chair of the Big Day of Giving campaign.