Bring Back the Basement – 3 Year Anniversary

Almost exactly three years ago we took back the basement at Pres House from a Subway restaurant that had been renting the space for a number of years. While the income from Subway was necessary to cover costs associated with our 2007 renovation of the Pres House Chapel, we were glad to reclaim the space back for mission and ministry. Shortly after regaining the space a major renovation of the basement began, transforming the basement into what is now known as Lower Hall and the Conger Meeting Room.

This project, dubbed, “Bring Back the Basement,” was made possible through the generosity of 183 donors who gave more than $700,000 to install a commercial kitchen, renovate the hall, and provide programming funds to engage in ministry in the new space. As we remember the anniversary of this exciting moment in Pres House history we are pleased to share with you an update on how Lower Hall has been used since it opened in May, 2015.

In the infographic above you will find some highlights for how Lower Hall and the Conger Meeting Room have been used in the past few years. The renovated hall and kitchen has made it possible for 10,000 meals to be cooked and/shared, countless programs to be offered to students on campus, and many partnerships to flourish and bear fruit. We hope you are encouraged to see all that has been happening in the “new” space. We wish to extend a great big “Thank you!” to all of the folks helped us to “Bring Back the Basement” and better serve the spiritual, emotional, and intellectual growth of students at UW–Madison.

Gratefully,

Pastor Mark & Pastor Erica

P.S. We invite you to consider making a year-end donation to Pres House to help us serve even more students in 2018. You can make a one-time gift or set up a recurring donation online, or mail donations to 731 State St., Madison, WI 53703. Thank you!