A Legacy of Love Continues the Vision
St. John’s Episcopal Church Jackson Hole announces
“A Legacy of Love” Campaign to rebuild and expand Browse ‘n Buy facility
Jackson, WY - On Sunday, August 20, more than 250 community members came together to celebrate the official launch of St. John’s Episcopal Church’s “A Legacy of Love” campaign. The fundraising effort will support the rebuilding and expansion of the building on St. John’s campus housing Browse ‘n Buy and meeting space for the recovery community. The new building will include a new location for the Jackson Cupboard and deed restricted housing.
During the festive brunch, which featured live music by Sister Karee and the Other Brothers and carnival-themed activities for the youth, The Reverend Jimmy Bartz announced that over $9.1 million had been pledged during the quiet phase of the project. Today, more than $11.4 million has been raised toward an overall goal of $18 million.
“Browse ‘n Buy is a wonderful resource for our community, and the building is in dire need of restoration and improvement, so that the mission can continue to expand for another fifty years,” said The Rev. Jimmy Bartz. “When folks new to our community ask me about Browse ‘n Buy, I usually say, ‘simply put, Browse turns discard into money and money into love.’ The financial resource raised by Browse allows us to spread love and make a difference across this valley in so many ways."
“A Legacy of Love” will carry on the vision of St. John’s Episcopal Church’s founding members by deliberately and faithfully building a campus that cares for our community. A Mission of St. John's, Browse 'n Buy is a thrift retail store whose purpose is to assist the Jackson community. Browse 'n Buy supports community outreach programs such as One22, Jackson Cupboard, CLIMB Wyoming, Community Safety Network, 12-Step Programs, Teton County School District, and many more.
In addition to the expanded Browse ‘n Buy space, the ground floor will have significant space designed to host One22's Jackson Cupboard, Teton County’s only food bank, providing its clients a clean, above grade shopping experience that supports their need and their dignity. The second floor will support more Browse retail space, offices, and two units of housing to support St. John’s staff in the long term. The basement space will feature tall 10-foot ceilings and is dedicated to the Jackson Hole Recovery Community, enabling accessibility for all meeting spaces and expanded space for concurrent meetings to support participants of all ages.
About A Legacy of Love | More than a century ago, Episcopalians came to this valley in an effort to expand the strong bonds of community here already. Organizing under the banner of St. John’s Episcopal Church those folks began work that would found a hospital to provide healthcare for our community, created a library to support our community’s educational needs, and some fifty years after founding built a thrift store to serve the working community with low cost, high quality clothing and housewares. Our church continues an over 100-year tradition of seeking to serve the community of Jackson Hole with loving-kindness, care, nurture, and support. Simply put, this is how we embody the Christian Faith.
For more information about “A Legacy of Love,” visit stjohnsjackson.org or call the church office at 307-733-2603.
