THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Thanks to contributions made to this campaign, along with donations through other channels, the goal has been met.

This campaign will be left up and running for a little while in order to give followers and supporters a chance to read this message. From now on, any donations made to this campaign will go to the support of midwife Linda Steen who, just like Ellinor, was denied employment because she refused to perform abortion. For more info about the case of Linda Steen, please follow this link:

https://humanrightslawyers.eu/human-rights/our-cases/the-case-of-linda-steen/

Chances are, when you think of Sweden, you probably think of a very open minded place. However, it turns out that Swedish open-mindedness doesn’t apply to individuals with pro-life views…

My wife, Ellinor Grimmark, is a Swedish midwife (nurse) who was denied the opportunity to work because she refused to perform abortions. Ellinor sued for discrimination and lost her court case against her employer. Worse still, the judges ruled that we must pay all legal fees for this public court case. This means we are now required to pay over $100,000 because we stood up for freedom of conscience. We need your help to continue this fight…

These are examples of the workplace discrimination that Ellinor faced:

-In November 2013, Höglandssjukhuset women’s clinic in Sweden terminated Ellinor’s employment. The head of the maternity ward said that Ellinor “was no longer welcome to work with them” and questioned “whether a person with [pro-life] views actually can become a midwife.”

-A few months later, Ellinor tried to obtain employment with Ryhovs women’s clinic, which told her that a “person who refuses to perform abortions does not belong at a women’s clinic”.

-In January, Värnamo Hospital’s women’s clinic offered Ellinor a job but then withdrew employment. The head of the hospital told Ellinor that no employee was allowed to publicly take a stand against abortion.

-Ellinor has faced official defamation several times by Swedish politicians. Mrs Mona Sahlin, the National Coordinator against Violent Extremism in Sweden, stated during a panel discussion on religion and democracy that Christian midwives who refuse to participate in abortion could be compared with ISIS, because both were ”extreme religious practitioners.”

We’re seeking urgent financial support to help us cover costs that would otherwise send our family to bankruptcy. Even though the case was heard in a public court, Ellinor and I were still required to pay the court costs of $100,000 USD.  This is a crippling amount for our family.

Your contribution, at any level, will help us appeal this case all the way to the European Court of Human Rights and show them that our pro-life views must be respected. Would you please consider donating to our family in any amount?

Legacy Building – Cheers to New Roots!

Almost 20 years ago a group of Kansas Citians articulated a vision to create a place that would support, honor, preserve and celebrate the Irish and Celtic heritage of our community, families and individuals year-round. Our vision has grown and changed to better meet the needs of our community, and now our location must as well.

We have the Plan…We have the Place…Now we need your help.

The Plan…

The Irish Center is the living room of Kansas City’s Irish community – a small living room, one that needs to upgrade from rental unit to home ownership. Through the purchase of Drexel Hall, we have the opportunity to combine our programs with an existing, successful event space.  The Center will gain much-needed space for events, programs, classes and meetings…and most importantly, an ongoing, sustainable revenue source.

The Place…

Located in the heart of the city, Drexel Hall has been a Kansas City landmark for over a century. With a long and colorful history, it is the oldest, continuous in-use ballroom in Kansas City, and historically books 40+ events annually, yielding net revenue of $100,000.

Our current goal is to complete the purchase of Drexel Hall in the next couple of months. Once purchase is complete, we will work towards renovations of the existing building to increase our income potential and functional space.

First Floor

Irish Pub (renovated space)

This will be a new revenue source, providing a second rental space for small events (up to 75 people); projected to generate $2,500/month through rentals and food and alcohol sales. Includes a small performance stage. 

Event Hall (existing space)

This space will continue to be marketed for rental by outside groups/individuals. Capacity is 500; event space seating is 100-400, depending on set-up. All catering will be handled by outside vendors. The event hall also provides the Irish Center an on-site venue for concerts, theatre productions, speakers, etc.

Second Floor

KCIC (renovated space)

Remodeled to accommodate the Irish Center’s existing needs – office space, library, meeting/classrooms.

Event Hall (existing space)

Mezzanine of event hall largely unchanged.

Now…We Need Your Help!

Right now we have a donor who will match up to $125,000 in donations generated through this campaign. This means any donation you make now will be doubled!