Posted: December 30, 2020 12:35 pm
In a time when our country seems so divided, our history and heritage can unite us. The story of Johnstown – our resilience, our community, and everything we share – is more important and relevant than ever.
JAHA continues our commitment to preserving what makes this place special – in historical records and photography, and in the built environment – and to presenting this history in our museums and programming.
JAHA builds community every day by lighting the Stone Bridge in colors for health observances and holidays; sharing our region’s stories with residents and visitors at the Johnstown Flood Museum and Heritage Discovery Center/Johnstown Children’s Museum; presenting special events that make Johnstown a better place to live and to visit; and presenting a diverse range of educational programming for kids and adults alike.
Here’s a list of some of the additional things JAHA has accomplished since our 1971 founding:
We’ve accomplished so much with your support, but there’s still so much to do. And of course, 2020 has been a highly unusual year.
While nearly all cultural organizations require community support to maintain their programs, JAHA has been working hard to become more self-supporting from earned income from admissions, events, sales, and rentals. COVID-19 slashed these sources and threatened cultural organizations everywhere. As a non-essential business, JAHA closed its museum properties on March 16, 2020 and reopened them on a reduced schedule in July. Peoples Natural Gas Park was essentially closed all summer.
At the beginning of the pandemic, we estimated that JAHA might lose as much as $700,000 in income by the end of September 2020, and that is indeed what happened. Fortunately, JAHA was able to obtain CARES Act grants and Small Business Administration loans to stem the loss. We also cut costs everywhere we could while retaining our professional staff. Meanwhile, we continue to plan our next steps to enhance our facilities and programs – to come back strong.
If you value the role that JAHA plays in the Johnstown community, please know that your support is more essential now than ever. JAHA’s achievements in preservation, education, and community enhancement are ongoing – but none of this is possible without your support. Please consider a generous donation to the 2021 JAHA Annual Fund.
We know that 2020 has been a challenging year for many, and are grateful for your continued support. You can mail a check to us at PO Box 1889, Johnstown PA 15907; or click the button below to donate to our fund at the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies.