Saint Francis Service Dogs - A New Story

A NEW STORY

LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR LIFE-CHANGING PARTNERSHIPS

THE SAINT FRANCIS STORY An Enduring Legacy of Quality and Care 1996 - Saint Francis is founded in Roanoke County as an all volunteer organization 2000 - Saint Francis hires an Executive Director and Training Director, transitioning to a professionally managed organization 2003 - Saint Francis moves its administrative and training activities to the former Lakeland Stables property 2007 - Saint Francis becomes the first organization in Virginia to be accredited by Assistance Dogs International 2010 - Saint Francis moves into the new state-of-the-art kennel and administration 1999 - Tanglewood Mall in Roanoke provides a free training space located in a vacant storefront building, increases the number of dogs in the training program, and expands its service area to all of Virginia and a three hour radius from its facility 2011 - Saint Francis launches its facility dog program and places its first facility dog 2015 - Saint Francis places its 100th service dog 2021 - Saint Francis builds the Jo Lynn Draper and Draper Woody Pavilion as outdoor space to continue training during the COVID-19 pandemic 2022 - Saint Francis vacates Tanglewood Mall location, making the small house on its property its only dedicated training space 2022 - Saint Francis is accredited by Assistance Dogs International for the fourth time TODAY - Saint Francis Service Dogs is an internationally recognized leader in the field of assistance dogs TOMORROW - The new Training and Education Center at Saint Francis will elevate the quality of our training, empowering a new generation of assistance dog teams $ 2,975,000 $ 375,000 $ 250,000 $ 200,000 $ 200,000 $ 4,000,000 Training and Education Center Building Portico Classroom Space or Training Space Patio or Lobby Quiet Training or Training Apartment Training Offices, Foyer, or Field Priority Placement on Donor Wall Select Placement on Donor Wall Recognition on Donor Wall

OUR MISSION WHAT WE NEED

Saint Francis Service Dogs is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to help people with disabilities achieve their goals and have greater independence through partnership with exceptional service and facility dogs . Empowering and Transforming Lives for Three Decades The story of Saint Francis Service Dogs started small - with dreams, ideas, and plans made around the kitchen table of our founder, Carol Willoughby. Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Carol had experienced the life-changing impact of a service dog and wanted to make that a reality for more Saint Francis Service Dogs became one of the few service dog organizations in the world founded not by dog trainers, but by people with disabilities. The commitment we made then - to high-quality, individualized, relationship-based training for both our exceptional dogs and the extraordinary people we serve - remains at the heart of our work today. New Training and Education Center Building Sitework and Utility Connections Expansion of Entrance Road and Parking Lot Fencing and Landscaping Equipment and Upfit CAMPAIGN GOAL people, regardless of economic status. With the help of co-founder Sherri Spell,

BE PART OF A NEW STORY

Your investment in this campaign will help change the lives of the people we serve for decades to come. Become a permanent part of our new story with these naming opportunities.

$ 1,000,000 Gift $ 750,000 Gift $ 100,000 Gift $ 500,000 Gift $ 250,000 Gift $ 50,000 Gift

Carol Willoughby and her service dog Booke r 1 Available 1 Available 2 Available 2 Available 2 Available 4 Available Unlimited

$ 10,000 Gift $ 25,000 Gift

Unlimited Unlimited

$ 5,000 Gift

These are just a few faces of the nearly two hundred life-changing stories that started at Saint Francis Service Dogs. They are why our new Training and Education Center is far more than just a building. It is where the beautiful bonds between these exceptional dogs and extraordinary people begin. It is a foundation of hope, courage, and transformation.

Current Training Facility Help us build the next chapter of Saint Francis. Help us build the new heart of our campus and the future of our mission. When you support the “A New Story” campaign, you become part of a legacy - helping people with disabilities gain the independence, confidence, and strength that can change their lives forever.

For three decades, our facilities have grown alongside our mission. But today, the need for service dogs - and for the independence, confidence, and connection they provide - is greater than ever. For thirty years, our story has been one of transformation - written through the nearly two hundred partnerships we have created between people with disabilities and the service and facility dogs who empower them.

With your gift, you become part of the thousands of new stories yet to begin.

Now, as we look ahead, we are laying a new foundation - one that will sustain and expand this life-changing work for generations to come.

A NEW STORY A CLOSER LOOK

New Training and Education Center

Our new Training and Education Center will be the heart of the next part of the Saint Francis story. It will be a place where purpose meets preparation, where skills become service, and where every new life-changing partnership begins. It is a vital step in strengthening and expanding our 18-acre campus - bringing our training and education programs together in a space that reflects the excellence of our mission. This thoughtfully designed and spacious facility will replace the aging and small house that has served as our partner classroom and main training space for decades. It will be a building that creates an environment worthy of the life-changing work that will happen inside its walls everyday. At any given time, we have around 40 dogs in different stages of training and dozens of candidates waiting to be matched. We are also supporting around 50 active teams through ongoing education and training. Each dog we train and every person we serve will benefit from this new building. With its construction, we’re not just expanding capacity - we are ensuring that every single dog, every single partner, and every single story has the space to begin, grow, and thrive.

By constructing a new facility that is contiguous with our current state-of-the-art kennel, Saint Francis will be able to provide an accessible, welcoming space for classes and the environment needed to produce consistently excellent service dogs, all while respecting the natural beauty of the Saint Francis property. As we have done for every part of our thirty year story, we have carefully considered every aspect of this new phase of growth. It is critical that our community of supporters have faith, trust, and confidence in our vision. That is why we have strategically planned out this proposed project to ensure four key pillars of success are in place.

BOARD ACCOUNTABILITY

Local leaders with expertise in finance, architecture, construction, business, marketing and non-profit management comprise our board of directors. This group of committed volunteers closely monitors Saint Francis’ financial stability and carefully assesses the feasibility of our goals. Each and every member of the Saint Francis Board of Directors contributes annually to all of Saint Francis’ funding initiatives, both operational and capital.

Current Administrative and Kennel Facility Assistance Dogs International, which gives her rare insight into the best practices in the industry worldwide. Her experience and knowledge make her the right leader for Saint Francis Service Dogs now and into the future. PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP Executive Director, Cabell Youell, has over twenty years of experience at the helm of Saint Francis Service Dogs. She has successfully completed several major capital campaigns, established a thriving endowment, managed strategic planning, board relations and development, budget creation and oversight, and staff growth. She has served in leadership positions for

FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY

Saint Francis Service Dogs is focused on making campaign decisions based on prudent financial planning and oversight. Saint Francis is currently debt-free and owns all of our property and buildings outright. We have planned for an appropriate expansion that maximizes the utility

INSIDE THE NEW TRAINING AND EDUCATION CENTER

{ A FLEXIBLE AND THOUGHTFULLY-EQUIPPED TRAINING AREA WITH MOVABLE WALLS FOR A WIDE ASSORTMENT OF TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES { A QUIET TRAINING ROOM FOR FOCUSED SKILL DEVELOPMENT { A MOCK APARTMENT, COMPLETE WITH KITCHEN AND BATHROOM, FOR TRAINING THAT MIRRORS EVERYDAY LIFE { SPACIOUS CLASSROOM AREA FOR PUPPY RAISER TRAINING, CANDIDATE CLASSES, PARTNER TRAINING, AND CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT OUR TEAMS FOR THE LIFETIME OF THEIR PARTNERSHIP { ADAPTABLE LAYOUT FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS, PRESENTATIONS, AND DEMONSTRATIONS ALLOWING US TO ENGAGE WITH THE PUBLIC AND ENHANCE OUR ROLE AS A CELEBRATED COMMUNITY ASSET of our main asset – the site we own – while preparing for future growth when needed. TRANSITION PLAN Saint Francis Service Dogs has carefully considered how to maintain our operations during construction and how to best use the existing training house once the new building is complete. During construction, we will continue to operate our training out of the training house. Once the new building is complete, we will repurpose the house for future needs.

WHY NOW

As Saint Francis has grown, we have repurposed, repaired, and remodeled the small mid-century house that serves as our main training space. It stands as a symbol of the start of our story, but it is time for the next chapter. It is time for the training and classroom facilities at Saint Francis Service Dogs to support and reflect the exceptional quality of the dogs we train, allowing us to maintain our position as a world class service dog training program.

Our ability to serve our partners with warmth and professionalism depends on it.

CURRENT CHALLENGES

NEW FACILITY BENEFITS

Inadequate training space with inappropriate floors, poor air circulation, and limited flexibility

Large open training space with non-slip floors, new HVAC, and room dividers to add training flexibility New space is contiguous to existing kennel facility for easier, more comfortable, and more enriching housing of dogs during the day Dedicated quiet training room for individual training, matching interviews, and other training activities that require limited distractions Apartment designed for service dog task work training in real-life environment to better prepare dogs for their future Walk-up attic space for efficient storage Integrated with existing building to share parking, easier site navigation, better pathways, and visitor experience Large and flexible classroom space for Team Training, Candidate Classes, Partner Classes, Puppy Raiser Classes, and other educational programs ADA compliance in all aspects of design with viewing spaces to observe training, designated and accessible restrooms for a welcoming, safe space for all Dedicated office space for trainers and Training Program supervisors Covered entry that protects visitors regardless of weather and equipment Energy efficient systems and construction materials, controlled temperature and air quality, ease of maintenance

Poor daytime kennel space - currently a converted garage

No space for matching interviews with dogs and candidates or quiet training for individual dogs

No model space to practice real-life tasks

Lack of storage

Disjointed orientation with current Kennel Facility

No classroom space

Inaccessible; no observation areas

Insufficient program offices

No clear orientation for entry or drop off

Old, time-worn facility, inefficient, musty, and requiring continual and costly repairs

“The level of work we do has outgrown our current training space. This new center will give us the space to train more intentionally, teach more effectively, and better prepare every team for a lifetime of partnership.”

Debbie Clifton Training Manager

A NEW STORY A CLOSER LOOK

New Training and Education Center

Our new Training and Education Center will be the heart of the next part of the Saint Francis story. It will be a place where purpose meets preparation, where skills become service, and where every new life-changing partnership begins. It is a vital step in strengthening and expanding our 18-acre campus - bringing our training and education programs together in a space that reflects the excellence of our mission. This thoughtfully designed and spacious facility will replace the aging and small house that has served as our partner classroom and main training space for decades. It will be a building that creates an environment worthy of the life-changing work that will happen inside its walls everyday. At any given time, we have around 40 dogs in different stages of training and dozens of candidates waiting to be matched. We are also supporting around 50 active teams through ongoing education and training. Each dog we train and every person we serve will benefit from this new building. With its construction, we’re not just expanding capacity - we are ensuring that every single dog, every single partner, and every single story has the space to begin, grow, and thrive.

By constructing a new facility that is contiguous with our current state-of-the-art kennel, Saint Francis will be able to provide an accessible, welcoming space for classes and the environment needed to produce consistently excellent service dogs, all while respecting the natural beauty of the Saint Francis property. As we have done for every part of our thirty year story, we have carefully considered every aspect of this new phase of growth. It is critical that our community of supporters have faith, trust, and confidence in our vision. That is why we have strategically planned out this proposed project to ensure four key pillars of success are in place.

BOARD ACCOUNTABILITY

Local leaders with expertise in finance, architecture, construction, business, marketing and non-profit management comprise our board of directors. This group of committed volunteers closely monitors Saint Francis’ financial stability and carefully assesses the feasibility of our goals. Each and every member of the Saint Francis Board of Directors contributes annually to all of Saint Francis’ funding initiatives, both operational and capital.

Current Administrative and Kennel Facility Assistance Dogs International, which gives her rare insight into the best practices in the industry worldwide. Her experience and knowledge make her the right leader for Saint Francis Service Dogs now and into the future. PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP Executive Director, Cabell Youell, has over twenty years of experience at the helm of Saint Francis Service Dogs. She has successfully completed several major capital campaigns, established a thriving endowment, managed strategic planning, board relations and development, budget creation and oversight, and staff growth. She has served in leadership positions for

FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY

Saint Francis Service Dogs is focused on making campaign decisions based on prudent financial planning and oversight. Saint Francis is currently debt-free and owns all of our property and buildings outright. We have planned for an appropriate expansion that maximizes the utility

INSIDE THE NEW TRAINING AND EDUCATION CENTER

{ A FLEXIBLE AND THOUGHTFULLY-EQUIPPED TRAINING AREA WITH MOVABLE WALLS FOR A WIDE ASSORTMENT OF TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES { A QUIET TRAINING ROOM FOR FOCUSED SKILL DEVELOPMENT { A MOCK APARTMENT, COMPLETE WITH KITCHEN AND BATHROOM, FOR TRAINING THAT MIRRORS EVERYDAY LIFE { SPACIOUS CLASSROOM AREA FOR PUPPY RAISER TRAINING, CANDIDATE CLASSES, PARTNER TRAINING, AND CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT OUR TEAMS FOR THE LIFETIME OF THEIR PARTNERSHIP { ADAPTABLE LAYOUT FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS, PRESENTATIONS, AND DEMONSTRATIONS ALLOWING US TO ENGAGE WITH THE PUBLIC AND ENHANCE OUR ROLE AS A CELEBRATED COMMUNITY ASSET of our main asset – the site we own – while preparing for future growth when needed. TRANSITION PLAN Saint Francis Service Dogs has carefully considered how to maintain our operations during construction and how to best use the existing training house once the new building is complete. During construction, we will continue to operate our training out of the training house. Once the new building is complete, we will repurpose the house for future needs.

THE SAINT FRANCIS STORY An Enduring Legacy of Quality and Care 1996 - Saint Francis is founded in Roanoke County as an all volunteer organization

OUR MISSION WHAT WE NEED

Saint Francis Service Dogs is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to help people with disabilities achieve their goals and have greater independence through partnership with exceptional service and facility dogs . Empowering and Transforming Lives for Three Decades The story of Saint Francis Service Dogs started small - with dreams, ideas, and plans made around the kitchen table of our founder, Carol Willoughby. Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Carol had experienced the life-changing impact of a service dog and wanted to make that a reality for more Saint Francis Service Dogs became one of the few service dog organizations in the world founded not by dog trainers, but by people with disabilities. The commitment we made then - to high-quality, individualized, relationship-based training for both our exceptional dogs and the extraordinary people we serve - remains at the heart of our work today. New Training and Education Center Building Sitework and Utility Connections Expansion of Entrance Road and Parking Lot Fencing and Landscaping Equipment and Upfit CAMPAIGN GOAL people, regardless of economic status. With the help of co-founder Sherri Spell,

1999 - Tanglewood Mall in Roanoke provides a free training space located in a vacant storefront $ 2,975,000

2000 - Saint Francis hires an Executive Director and Training Director, transitioning to a professionally managed organization 2003 - Saint Francis moves its administrative and training activities to the former Lakeland Stables property 2007 - Saint Francis becomes the first organization in Virginia to be accredited by Assistance Dogs International 2010 - Saint Francis moves into the new state-of-the-art kennel and administration building, increases the number of dogs in the training program, and expands its service area to all of Virginia and a three hour radius from its facility 2011 - Saint Francis launches its facility dog program and places its first facility dog 2015 - Saint Francis places its 100th service dog $ 375,000 $ 250,000 $ 200,000 $ 200,000 $ 4,000,000 2021 - Saint Francis builds the Jo Lynn Draper and Draper Woody Pavilion as outdoor space to continue training during the COVID-19 pandemic 2022 - Saint Francis vacates Tanglewood Mall location, making the small house on its property its only dedicated training space 2022 - Saint Francis is accredited by Assistance Dogs International for the fourth time Training and Education Center Building Portico Classroom Space or Training Space Patio or Lobby Quiet Training or Training Apartment TODAY - Saint Francis Service Dogs is an internationally recognized leader in the field of assistance dogs TOMORROW - The new Training and Education Center at Saint Francis will elevate the quality of our training, empowering a new generation of assistance dogs teams Training Offices, Foyer, or Field Priority Placement on Donor Wall Select Placement on Donor Wall Recognition on Donor Wall

BE PART OF A NEW STORY

Your investment in this campaign will help change the lives of the people we serve for decades to come. Become a permanent part of our new story with these naming opportunities.

$ 1,000,000 Gift $ 750,000 Gift $ 100,000 Gift $ 500,000 Gift $ 250,000 Gift $ 50,000 Gift

Carol Willoughby and her service dog Booke r 1 Available 1 Available 2 Available 2 Available 2 Available 4 Available Unlimited

$ 10,000 Gift $ 25,000 Gift

Unlimited Unlimited

$ 5,000 Gift

These are just a few faces of the nearly two hundred life-changing stories that started at Saint Francis Service Dogs. They are why our new Training and Education Center is far more than just a building. It is where the beautiful bonds between these exceptional dogs and extraordinary people begin. It is a foundation of hope, courage, and transformation.

Current Training Facility Help us build the next chapter of Saint Francis. Help us build the new heart of our campus and the future of our mission. When you support the “A New Story” campaign, you become part of a legacy - helping people with disabilities gain the independence, confidence, and strength that can change their lives forever.

For three decades, our facilities have grown alongside our mission. But today, the need for service dogs - and for the independence, confidence, and connection they provide - is greater than ever. For thirty years, our story has been one of transformation - written through the nearly two hundred partnerships we have created between people with disabilities and the service and facility dogs who empower them.

With your gift, you become part of the thousands of new stories yet to begin.

Now, as we look ahead, we are laying a new foundation - one that will sustain and expand this life-changing work for generations to come.

To learn more about how you can become part of our new story, scan the QR code or visit:

www.saintfrancisdogs.org/new-story

The Balaban Center for Service Dog Excellence PO Box 19538, 8232 Enon Drive, Roanoke, VA 24019 Telephone: (540) 342-3647 | www.saintfrancisdogs.org