The Ark announces new building at 5th Annual Supper and Song fundraiser
The Ark Community and Resource Center’s annual Supper and Song fundraiser is always a night of music, community and gratitude — but this year’s event comes with a major announcement: The Ark is getting a new home.
Director Mike Turpin shared the news at Sunday night’s event, revealing that the nonprofit has purchased 2.81 acres next to Pegram City Hall on Hickory Hollow Road, where a new, modern two-story facility will soon take shape.
“It’s no secret we’ve been wanting a new building for a while — not only for space, but for safety,” Turpin said. “We have no parking at our current location on Highway 70, and we’ve always been afraid something could happen. This new property gives us room to grow.”
The project comes after years of fundraising and community support. Last year’s Supper and Song Under the Stars raised more than $30,000 toward the goal of a new facility. Now, with the help of a private foundation that has partnered with The Ark, those dreams are becoming reality.
“We were thinking small. We started by looking for an existing building,” Turpin said. “Then we began working with a foundation that really got to know what we do. They helped us bridge the gap, and once we started looking at raw land, it just snowballed from there.”
A space built for community
The new building will house Noah’s Closet, The Ark’s popular thrift store, on the ground floor — designed with added space and comfort in mind. Plans also include lounging areas and what Turpin calls a “third space,” where community members can gather freely to read, relax or meditate.
In the back, the building will feature a commercial kitchen for cooking classes and events, a resource Turpin hopes can one day host Meals on Wheels operations if needed. Upstairs will be office space and a new counseling center, offering mental health therapy on a sliding scale through a partnership with the Pegram Church of Christ Counseling Center.
“We’ll even have scholarship funds available so people can get mental health treatment if they can’t afford it,” Turpin said. “And we’re exploring the idea of a small health clinic — a place where people can get vaccines, blood pressure checks or other basic services.”
“It's an endless possibility right now because we're in our design phase, so we're trying to dream what we can do,” Turpin said.
The Ark also plans to expand its outreach programs, including a hygiene bank to provide essentials like feminine hygiene products to local students.
“The number one reason middle and high school girls miss school is because they don’t have access to those products,” Turpin explained. “We want to change that.”
The Ark will continue operating out of its current Highway 70 location until the new building is complete. The organization plans to sell its existing property only after the transition is fully underway.
“The foundation’s goal is to make sure we don’t have to close down in between,” Turpin said. “We’ll build the new facility, move in gradually and then put our current building on the market.”
The project remains in its design phase, with civil engineering and road improvements still ahead — including widening Hickory Hollow Road for delivery access from 18-wheelers. But Turpin said the vision is clear: a space that reflects the heart of The Ark’s mission.
“We’re asking the community now: what does a Community Resource Center mean to you?” he said. “Because it doesn’t just have to be what we already offer — it can be more.”
Coming two by two
As fundraising for the new facility begins, Turpin is inviting supporters to give in pairs — a nod to the organization’s biblical namesake.
“Just like the animals came to Noah’s Ark two by two, we’re asking donors to come two by two,” he said. “Find a friend to match your donation, and help us build something that will serve this community for generations.”
