04/28/2023
*Help this post reach as many people as possible - LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE!*
Our dearest customers and community members,
We hope all is well. We wish we had happier news to share with you today, but due to an unforeseen equipment failure that is completely out of our control, there's a chance this year may be our last. If left unresolved, this could jeopardize everything we've built and worked for over our 14 years in business.
As hard as it is to admit, we need your help.
What's happening?
Back in February 2023, we discovered that our industrial walk-in fridge/freezer will soon fail and needs to be replaced due to faulty installation 13 years ago. We have serviced and maintained this integral piece of equipment over the years, but slowly (and silently) the unit has been failing. Because the discovery of this failure is 13 years from the point of installation, our insurance provider and the equipment company have both made it clear that they WILL NOT take responsibility for the failed unit. This unit should have lasted us 30 years.
Asking for help is really hard, but it’s our only option. The current cost we need to raise to replace this 12x12 fridge/freezer unit is $45,000. We understand this is a huge ask, but we simply cannot continue to operate our business sustainably without this walk-in fridge and freezer unit.
We are not in a position to take on a debt of $45,000.
The added pressure may be the tipping point that puts us out of business for good.
How can you help?
We launched an official GoFundMe campaign this morning and wanted to make sure you heard about it directly from us. We are extremely hopeful that our community will rally behind us so that we can continue to do what we do best. Asking for your financial help is tough. We, of course, recognize this is a difficult time for so many of you out there.
We are only asking you to make a donation if you can or feel comfortable doing so. Any small amount matters. Many hands make light work. At the same time, so many of you already (and continue to) purchase Schoolhouse eats and treats as part of your regular grocery budget, and we couldn’t be more grateful for that. Simply sharing a link to our GoFundMe or spreading the word on social media is also another way to help. We are honestly just so appreciative and grateful for however you choose to support and rally behind us.
A big way for you to help us is to share our story and the campaign with your network/social platforms. Instagram and Facebook have been making it increasingly difficult to get posts out to followers. The only way to reach our entire customer base and beyond is to get as many people to share the story and spread the word as possible.
We had to pause in this process and remind ourselves that we are a community and it is okay to ask each other for help. We believe we offer an unrivaled and important service to our community and beyond. We want to keep doing this for you, for the families we employ and support and our family as well. We have explored every avenue to handle this on our own but have arrived at a crossroads where we need to extend a hand for help.
Here's a direct link to the GoFundMe campaign: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-save-schoolhouse
We will provide campaign updates as it progresses and in the meantime, please understand that we can continue to produce our products and be your gluten-free supplier. The walk-in fridge and freezer will continue to function in the short term. If we are able to raise the funds to get a new walk-in fridge and freezer, we will ensure the removal of the old unit and installation of a new one causes minimal disruption to our production schedule.
How can you donate?
• Make a donation directly to our GoFundMe and share a link to the campaign across various social media platforms;
• If you feel uncomfortable making a donation through GoFundMe online, you can send a cheque to:
Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet. Mail to: 7014 Hwy #3, Mahone Bay, NS, B0J 2E0.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you would like to speak individually in confidence about other ways to help, please call the order desk or email [email protected] and we'd be happy to arrange a time to chat.
From the bottom of our hearts, we can't thank you enough for all of your support over the years - it truly means the world to us.
Onward and up,
Aidan, Jen & Team Schoolhouse
