When ECHO began work in Florida, one of the first buildings to be constructed was the A-Frame, completed in the 1970s by United Methodist Volunteers. This building was the heart of ECHO’s ministry throughout the 1980s, housing offices, the Seed Bank, and small apartments for the interns and Dr. and Mrs. Price.

Most recently, the A-frame was retrofitted to offer a dormitory on the bottom floor and a gathering place upstairs for meals during weeklong courses for trainees as they spend time learning at ECHO.

 The A-frame was reorganized and redeveloped several times to meet ECHO’s needs over the years, but the small upstairs kitchen was an obstacle for various groups and ECHO functions.

Food is at the heart of ECHO’s agricultural mission. If we grow the healthiest crops in the most creative and sustainable ways, but the foods don’t make it to local families, then food is wasted. If crops are grown but cannot be carried to market, they will not improve the livelihoods of the ones who grew them or the nutrition of the consumer. Teaching those who come to ECHO about the interconnectedness of growing and eating is a vital component of ECHO’s ministry. 

We are excited for the next era of the A-Frame! Work has begun to remodel the building to include a high-capacity downstairs kitchen — making cooking and cleaning for groups more efficient and cost-effective. The second floor will offer bunkhouse-style accommodations for larger groups who want to serve and learn but do not currently have space at ECHO’s campus. This amazing structure has proven its robustness over the years but needs a major overhaul to continue to serve those who come to ECHO well for the decades to come. We have started that process with much of the framing work being done by ECHO’s amazing volunteers and funds committed by passionate donors like you.

However, to finish the project and to steward these donations well, we are looking for donations of used (but excellent condition) kitchen fixtures, cabinets, and appliances that have a long life in them to serve ECHO’s mission! We want to ensure that as much of the funds you donate to ECHO go towards our missional program as possible, and to that end, we could also use donations for items that we need but don’t want to divert funds toward. In addition to donations for kitchen items, we also need some items like a used heavy-duty truck, skid steer, or sedan.

Please let us know if you or anyone you know would be interested in meeting these specific needs and launching ECHO Florida into this renewed mission.