The Lantern Room
Turning a forgotten church basement into a warm, well-lit study lounge where neighborhood teens can do homework, get tutoring, and eat a hot meal on school nights.
For thirty years the basement under our sanctuary has held folding chairs, a broken piano, and not much else. Meanwhile the middle schoolers who walk past our doors every afternoon have nowhere to go between the last bell and the time their parents get home. The Lantern Room changes that. We are pulling out the drop ceiling, adding real lighting and outlets at every table, painting the cinder block, and building a small kitchen pass-through so volunteers can serve dinner. Retired teachers from our congregation have already signed up to tutor three nights a week. When it opens in January, any student in grades 6 through 12 will be welcome, no questions asked and no church membership required.
Electrical work and LED lighting: $3,200 Paint, flooring, and drywall repair: $2,100 Study tables, chairs, and whiteboards: $1,900 Kitchen pass-through and serving counter: $1,300
Two Saturday work parties in November for demolition and painting, then a weekly volunteer rota once we open: one tutor and one kitchen helper per evening, Monday through Thursday, 3:30 to 6:30 pm.
- That the city permit review goes smoothly and on schedule
- For the students who will walk through the door, that they feel safe and known
- For patience and joy for our volunteer tutors
- That local families hear about the room before school lets out for winter break
Hands still needed
Hours are the organizer's estimates. A shift may run a little longer or shorter than listed.