NeighborLink operated out of coffee shops and homes for a majority of its existence as a one-person staff for nearly 10 years. About 3 years ago we started renting office space from our partners at Blue Jacket Inc. A year later, we hired our Director of Mobilization, brought on a Program Manager in May, then our 3 summer interns in June. Six people at one big desk was cramped, and all part of the process. Although the close proximity was good and humorous at times, we are looking forward to hopefully getting a little more space soon.

As our summer interns slowly trickle out, we are back to our staff of 3. As we continue to come back to our vision for the next 5-10 years and what direction we want to take, a new building to have room for growth is important. We are beginning to see a need to have space for more staff, equipment, and our own workshop to build wheelchair ramps and other projects.

One of the important factors as we consider options is our desire to really live out our mission to "be a neighbor." We want to find a building in the surrounding neighborhoods from where we are now. This adds a unique element to the search, though, as it puts some limits on the area and buildings we are looking at and can afford. We have looked at several buildings, and we are continuing to trust that when the time is right, we will have our own space. The search doesn't come without its own set of barriers, but we're ready to push through each phase of the process. We don't want to shy away from the hard things, but rather lean into them.

We are hopeful that as our vision and staff grow, so will our building and space to do more things in the community. We are expectant to see what God does through this, and we are excited to see how NeighborLink will grow in the next few years.