Crown Point Ecology Center - Bath, Ohio

Each day brings new life to Crown Point and its Mission. It is life brought by people’s gifts. Gifts of all shapes, textures, and colors. Gifts that support endeavors to model spiritual well-being, care of community, judicial equity, and ecological harmony. Crown Point strives to demonstrate innovative avenues for the community to engage in imagining and creating a sustainable world.

As the Advancement Coordinator, I am often told that Crown Point’s value is evident as soon as one turns up the lane off Ira Road; that a sense of calm comes over them, then the telling of favorable stories from the past surface. Those stories portray reflections of peace, tranquility, solitude and grace; a place where time is eternal and where one seeks restoration of the soul.

For Saundra Francesconi, Crown Point’s 2007 Volunteer of the Year, when asked what keeps her coming back year after year (her sixteenth) she said, “I feel like part of a community. I love the work and believe in what Crown Point is doing: the growing of vegetables in an earth-friendly way and its commitment to donate part of the harvest to those in need. I come for the peace. Here, I know I can get down into the dirt without worrying about pesticides; there’s the fresh air, too. It’s my way of experiencing spirituality in a more active way. It’s the way I fit in. Not everywhere you go do you know that place will be there for you later. Here at Crown Point, I know it’ll always be here for me. Also, I like the continuity of being here all year, the constancy of the work from starting a seed to the final harvest to putting the beds to rest. The work is rewarding.”

Through Points of Giving, like Saundra and others, individuals, foundations, service groups, churches, businesses and other organizations connect to Crown Point’s Mission – to demonstrate the practical applications of ecology:guided by principles leading to community, sustainability, spirituality, and justice. To join us, to express yourself, and leave a legacy for your world, the following Points of Giving are available:

Membership - Membership connects people and organizations to the Crown Point Mission. All programs incorporate the spirit of community, but membership formalizes the Crown Point community. Membership begins each January.

Annual Appeal - A year-long endeavor beginning in the fall, Annual Appeal endorses and perpetuates Crown Point’s Mission.

Taste of the Earth Fundraiser, Crown Point’s annual fundraising event featuring Crown Point’s Certified Organic produce, live music, green exhibits and tours.

Magdalyn E. Hausfeld Living Endowment - Provides a permanent fund for the ongoing support and sustainability of children’s educational programs and gardens at Crown Point in recognition of Magdalyn E. Hausfeld.

Honorariums and Memorials – A way to remember friends and relatives through honorariums and memorials.

Gifts in Kind – Opportunities to donate to a project or unseen need.

Volunteer – An opportunity to give time to a working committee of the board (see list in opposite column), in the office, or in the gardens.

To contribute or learn more about Points of Giving, please call Ellen Otto, Advancement Coordinator, at 330.668.8992 x102.