By Robin Britt, Executive Director – Community Conscience
During the heavy rainstorms in January and February of this year, the roof of the Human Services Center was judged officially beyond repair. The surface layer, which was over a gravel undercoating, had shattered into little pieces, turning the roof into a big sponge. Water would seep through to the interior, damaging ceiling tiles and making puddles in the upstairs non-profits every time it rained. We at Community Conscience knew we had no choice but to replace the roof entirely before the next rainy season.
We have a total of 16 HVAC units. Last year we replaced two of them when the units failed. The remaining 14 units vary between 10 and 20 years past their warranty. To replace the roof, the units need to be lifted. We knew these worn units would most likely not survive this. It would be folly not to replace them at the same time as the roof. Community Conscience was faced with the very large expense of doing both projects no later than the end of summer to avoid another rainy season.
Due to your generous ongoing support, Community Conscience has stable reserves for such circumstances. This is immensely important because we house 13 non-profits who provide critical services to the community. Without Community Conscience providing rent-free space for their programs, things would become much more difficult or even impossible for these agencies to continue. Where would the 56,000 people who depend on their services be without their help? These include infants, children, low income families, youth, seniors and homeless. The Human Services Center has a sizable impact on the lives of our most vulnerable citizens, affording them respect and dignity while receiving assistance.
The new roof was completed September 12th, passing inspection by the City of Thousand Oaks. Now the new energy efficient HVAC units are being replaced. The new roof comes with a 20-year warranty and the HVAC units have 10-year warranties. Going forward we will save an estimated 30-40% on energy costs.
Now all that is left is to replace are a few damaged ceiling tiles and a couple of hundred thousand dollars in our reserve account. This is where your continued support is immensely needed. Please attend our upcoming 30th Anniversary Wine Tasting event on October 12th for a fun way to help. Busy that day? Save the date of February 29, 2020 for our signature event, the Mardi Gras Ball. Want to help right now? Make a donation. Thank you!