I want to share some tremendous news with each of you, so that you can join with me and the students, faculty, staff, and Board of Trustees in celebrating God’s goodness, and miracles in our midst.

In January 1994, I signed a 5-year lease agreement with the organization that owned the building and property that we all know and love as Hope Hall.  When it was time to renew the lease, we were told that we would have to purchase the building for $1.2 million, or leave because the owners wanted to sell and had other interested buyers.

The only way Hope Hall could raise such an enormous amount of money would be to launch a capital campaign and convince a bank to give us a mortgage (we had no credit history).

After doing a feasibility study, the Board and I were advised that it would be too risky for Hope Hall to undertake a capital campaign, because other larger and better known institutions were running similar campaigns, people with the most money didn’t really know Hope Hall – we were too small, too young, too high risk.  This is just the sort of situation that God loves to work with in creating miracles.

Ignoring the recommendations of the feasibility study, we rolled up our sleeves and launched a capital campaign to raise $3 million.  This would enable us to purchase the building and begin making the necessary repairs – roof, windows, boiler, lighting, etc.

In June 1999, Hope Hall became the proud owner of 1612 Buffalo Road, and two mortgages – one for $850,000, which was held by M&T Bank and guaranteed by Mr. Tom Golisano.  This mortgage had an 8% interest rate; the second mortgage was for $350,000.  This was held by the former owners and was interest free for 10 years.  If we did not pay the mortgage by 2009, the interest rate would be 8% and retroactive to 1999.

Since these mortgages were not included as part of our operating budget, but were over and above the $5,300 per child that we needed to raise each year for operations (and the $50,000+ that we needed to raise each year for scholarships), we had our work cut out for us, but God is never out-done in generosity if a project is God’s work.

Within 3 years we had received an extremely generous gift of $750,000 from the Gleason Foundation.  We used $500,000 to pay off the first mortgage and the remaining amount to replace all the windows and begin making some minor repairs.

The remaining mortgage continued to hover over our heads, and as we drew closer to 2009, it began to weigh heavier on our minds.  In answer to our prayers, two amazing people, Bob and Jackie Sperandio, came forward with an idea:  first, see if the group holding the second mortgage would accept $300,000 if we paid it in full by December 1, 2006.  Second, see if we could get someone to match a Sperandio gift in paying off the mortgage.

Through the efforts of Andy Dutcher (Board Treasurer), the organization said they would accept $311,500 as payment in full, if we paid by December 1st.  Because of our brick campaign, and the capital campaign, we needed $150,000.  We went back to our dear friends at the Gleason Foundation and received a gift of $75,000 matched by the Sperandios) and an additional gift of $25,000 to help with operations.

The Sperandios gave a gift large enough not only to match the Gleason gift, but to enable us to repair our chimney and start a Building and Facilities Fund to pay for ongoing repairs.

So, Hope Hall is now mortgage free!  We are planted firmly at 1612 Buffalo Road and with God’s continued help, and good people who respond to God’s promptings, we will continue to provide a future full of Hope to our children and their families.

Please join with me in thanking God, and asking for God’s blessings on all the foundations, organizations, and individuals who have helped, and continue to help, our children and our school.

—Sr. Diana