Decatur Makers finds a home, announces fundraising campaign

An unused church gym across from the Decatur post office will become the first home of Decatur Makers, a community-organized makerspace where adults and school-aged kids can invent and build.

Metro Atlanta’s first “family-friendly” makerspace, Decatur Makers has embarked on a campaign to raise funds and recruit volunteers to repair the gym, which is owned by First Christian Church of Decatur. The church has agreed to lease the 3,200-sq. ft. facility to Decatur Makers for five years in exchange for building improvements.

The fundraising campaign – facilitated through a fiscal sponsorship arrangement with the Decatur Education Foundation – will enable the all-volunteer Decatur Makers to replace parts of the roof, repair water damage and make other changes to prepare the building to be a makerspace. Tax-deductible gifts may be made securely online at DecaturEducationFoundation.org (with a reference to “Decatur Makers” in the form’s Comments box).

“The generosity of First Christian Church is turning an idea into a reality for the Decatur community,” says Lew Lefton, who chairs Decatur Makers. “If people in our community match that generosity in the form of financial gifts and volunteer hours, we can have the space open before the fall.”

Lefton added that a “Clean-Out-the-Space Day” has been scheduled this Saturday, March 22, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Volunteers of all skill sets may sign up to help at Volunteer Spot at http://vols.pt/AktJWv.

With a goal of $50,000, the fundraising campaign will support a long list of improvements needed for the space to be occupied, including new electrical wiring, drywall installation, roof repairs and plumbing. Lefton says the campaign has already reached 20 percent of its fundraising goal. Details on the needed improvements are available at DecaturMakers.org.

In addition to the fundraising campaign, Decatur Makers is offering multi-year Founding Memberships at varying levels for individuals and families. Founding Members pay membership fees in advance for access to the facility and workshops and use of tools. Membership levels also include a charitable gift to the organization, and Founding Members will receive prominent recognition in the new space.

The maker movement promotes creating, repairing, repurposing and otherwise making things from electronics to textiles, usually around shared equipment and community space. Decatur Makers is “a welcoming community of inquisitive people who work together in a safe environment to discover, understand, design and create interesting things.”

More: DecaturMakers.org