PORT TOWNSEND — Two substantial donations, along with anticipated proceeds from an upcoming auction, will make the Boiler Room solvent, said its executive director.
“When I got here, we were in debt, owing $60,000 to vendors, $20,000 for a personal loan and $15,000 in back property taxes,” said Amy Smith Howard, who took over as executive director four years ago.
“Now, all we owe is the mortgage.”
A 2013 “significant matching campaign” to commemorate the Boiler Room’s 20th anniversary wiped out the loan and taxes, and the vendors held large balances during the fundraising process, according to Howard.
Howard said the improved financial status has an ironic aspect.
“When we really needed money, it was hard to get,” she said.
“It’s seems to be a lot easier now.”
The Boiler Room, which is at 711 Water St. in Port Townsend, has for 23 years provided youths a place to gather or participate in an educational or social program.
“We used to be thought of as the bad kid,” said Howard, who also serves on the Port Townsend City Council.
“Now it’s like the bad kid grew up and is doing something useful, but we still have an edge.”
Howard said the Boiler Room, a nonprofit, has an annual budget of about $180,000.
Howard hopes the inaugural Boiler Room dinner and auction, scheduled from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Feb. 27 at Manresa Castle, 651 Cleveland St., will bring in a gross amount of $40,000.
Tickets for the auction are $65. Dinner choices are salmon picatta, marsala chicken or grilled portobella, with a house salad, garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed vegetables as side dishes.
Shortly after receiving a $10,000 grant from the Medina Foundation of Seattle last week, the facility got a $16,000 donation from an unnamed source.
Adding some other funds, which included individual donations, Howard made a $28,000 deposit into the Boiler Room’s bank account last week.
There are no strings on any of the money, she said.
“The Medina grant is the unicorn of grants for nonprofits because it isn’t project-specific and we can use it for whatever we need,” Howard said.
The money will go to support programs, which include an “adulting” class where attendees learn basic modern life skills such as first aid, fire extinguisher usage, nonviolent communication and teaching.
The Boiler Room has also formed a partnership with its next door neighbor, the Northwind Arts Center, on a program called “Through the Wall” that provides free community art lessons from such artists as Max Grover and Nhatt Nichols.
Serving free meals is part of the Boiler Room charter. Some kind of food is available at all times.
The year Howard arrived, the Boiler Room served 2,000 meals; in 2015, the total was 15,000, she said.
“This is available to anyone,” she said.
“It’s funny to see the looks on tourists’ faces when they come in to buy coffee and we offer them free food.”
Howard said the auction event will, most of all, be a fun night out.
“We are telling people to wear their best robes, whether they are ermine or bath,” she said.
“So even if this is a classy event, it will still have that Boiler Room silly touch.”
For more information or auction tickets, go to www.ptbr.org or its social media presence on Facebook, Tumblr or Twitter.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.