Our Town Leeds began with a small group of neighbors asking what we might do to support and encourage a sense of community in our town, Leeds. There are many ways to further the spirit of community. We had brief success with a farmers’ market, and we continue to explore ways to support locally produced items. Our vision from the start has included improvement of facilities in the center of our town to support community spirit. We recognize that many towns our size have libraries, which can be places for people of all ages to gather, connect, and learn. We envision a community building that would include a library, improved space for our post office, and a café or similar small gathering spot for casual conversation and meetings. Ideally, such a facility would be located near the Town Office and the Historical Society, completing a community campus in the center of town.

Such an ambitious project requires substantial fundraising. Significant funding is available for projects like this. The first step to seek those funds is to create an IRS-recognized tax-exempt organization, which is needed for most grant applications.

This project can only succeed with broad community support. Therefore, we chose a membership model instead of a corporation in which there is only a board of directors. We decided that annual membership dues will be kept low so that anyone interested can join and have a vote when new directors are elected to the board. Members can join in the work as much or as little as they wish.

Our Town Leeds has now been recognized by the IRS as a 501c3 tax exempt corporation. We have already received some generous donations, opened a bank account, and started to develop a budget for the project. We have also:

• formed finance, fundraising, farmers market, and outreach committees, all of which are now meeting as needed to move our vision forward. We welcome additional participation in those committees!

• had initial conversations with Congressman Golden's office about the possibility of federal support for the project once we have raised funds from other sources.

• visited several small-town libraries and connected with the Maine State Library to learn about costs, space requirements, etc.

• had preliminary conversations with landowners and town officials about how we might acquire property, develop it, and coordinate with the town (although the project itself will be funded through grants and donations, not tax dollars).

Our regular board meetings take place in the downstairs room at the Town Office, and we are grateful to the Town for providing this space. We meet at 6:30 PM on the third Wednesday of each month.

Please join us, follow our progress, and help to make this community building a reality!