'Field Of Dreams'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Emmanuel Baptist Church has been a focal point for leadership, advocacy and evangelism in the Borough of Rankin and the Mon Valley region of Greater Pittsburgh for the last 115 years.

Every decade since the mid-1950s, our community has seen a decrease in population of nearly 12%, along with a rise in crime, truancy and preventable mortality and morbidity.

The mission of the Emmanuel Baptist Church is to create a radiant, transformational, "safe space", where individuals and families might become engaged, inspired and empowered.   

To that end, we have endeavored to build stronger communities through direct individual and family engagement through a multitude of faith-based and secular community development activities.

 In 2016, as part of our 'Faith On Fire' campaign, we established the Emmanuel Empowerment Foundation (EEF), a federally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity, to aid in revenue and other resource acquisition in order to assist the church and executing meaningful and impactful ministry.

This shift to ‘outsourcing’ the business, finance, revenue and resource acquisition aspects of the church, allows ministerial and lay leaders as well as the discipleship at-large to remain singularly focused on executing ministry projects and meeting the Gospel mandate.

One Emmanuel Empowerment Foundation ‘target’ project is the "Field Of Dreams Community Sports Complex"; an ambitious project to create a approximately 5-acre, multi use, lighted, artificial turf surface facility in the heart of Rankin Pennsylvania.  Of note, Phase II of this project will endeavor to add in indoor turf and hard-court surface facility on the same property.

In addition to being a venue to promote health, wellness and fitness through physical activity and organized sports, it is also well documented that youth and teens who are engaged in organized sports activity are not only healthier, empowered and possess greater self-worth and confidence, but they are far less likely to become truant and engaged in self destructive behavior.

We believe that the ‘Field of Dreams’ Community Sports Complex will become a community focal point thereby strengthening families and connecting individuals regardless of race, ethnicity or religious affiliation/denomination under the unifying banners of recreation, physical fitness and competitive organized sports.

Furthermore, the venue will produce at least three full-time and countless part-time employment opportunities for adults and youth alike.

This endeavor will involve an ownership group which includes three nonprofit entities, all committed to health, wellness and community empowerment:

   The Emmanuel Empowerment Foundation

   The Emmanuel Baptist Church

   The FAITHWorks Wellness Group, PLLC 

As we continue to aggressively seek partner/contributors, the most pressing and rate limiting step is finding appropriate accessible land with in the Borough.

We have identified several adjoining parcels of land which including and immediately surrounding the  "Old" Rankin Ball Field, totaling 6.2 acres.

According to the Office of Allegheny Assessments, Property and Real Estate the majority of this land is owned by the Borough of Rankin with the remaining land owned by the City of Braddock, the Re-Development Authority of Allegheny County, First Student Transportation Services (formerly Laidlaw) and two other private owners.

We are engaging each of these entities directly; seeking in-kind donation of these lot(s) to the Emmanuel Empowerment Foundation & it’s two collaborative non-profit partners for this worthwhile and exciting community development endeavor.

The estimated Phase I cost of construction and materials for the venue is $1.8 million.  The Phase I outdoor facility will include full-sized, artificial turf surface, Stadium lighting, bleachers, home and visitor locker rooms, concession stand, restrooms, press box, and a high-quality surface 8-lane, 400 meter running track.

Phase II is estimated to cost $1.3 million and will include a 45,ooo ft.2 mix-surface, multi-use space with locker room facilities, concession stand and indoor running track.

In addition to in-kind land donation, we are also actively seeking financial and technology partners to help make the field of dreams a reality and reduce the amount of front-end debt associated with the project.

There are several "levels" of financial and/or technology partnership, and all donations would be completely tax deductible.

In addition to the tax benefits of in-kind donation of land, finances or technology assistance, based on the level of contribution and partnership, additional benefits will range from prominent on-site signage and printed/Internet-based media sponsorship advertising, to partial/exclusive naming rights of the facility or some of its component parts (i.e. Press box, locker rooms, running track, concession stand, scoreboard and Phase II Indoor facility & fitness center).

Of course, your in-kind donation would be completely tax deductible, based upon the assessed "total value" of the land and any existing structures.

In addition to the tax benefits of land contribution, our plan would be to prominently display (signage and/or prominent placard), with your permission, a public acknowledgement of your contribution, as a sign of your tangible and sizable commitment to our community.

I would be happy to discuss this with you or your designee in greater detail, but in the meantime, I encourage you to visit our the following websites in order to better understand the mission and vision of the partners that have been assembled for this exciting and ambitious project.

   www.emmanuelempowerment.org

   www.emmanuel-pgh.org

   www.faith-works.org

On behalf of the Emmanuel Empowerment Foundation & it's collaborative partners, thank you, in advance, for your time, attention and prayerful consideration of this exciting and worthwhile endeavor.

Partner With us today!