Hope for the Future - A Sip of Eden | Jefferson County Gives

Specific Need

We are seeking to raise $450,000 to open A Sip of Eden, a mission-driven café and gathering space in the heart of Fairbury, offering more than just coffee. It will be a place where people come to connect, unwind, play games, and experience the kind of goodness that nurtures both body and soul. All donations are tax-deductible.

$300,000 – Purchase of the historic JC Penney building (520 E Street, Fairbury). If this property becomes unavailable, funds will be applied toward securing an alternative suitable location.
$150,000 – Building renovations and space preparation.

Once operational, A Sip Of Eden is designed to be financially self-sustaining through sales of beverages and food, room rentals, locally made gifts, games, leagues (such as cornhole), and recurring weekly activities.

Support from Jefferson County Gives will help establish this foundation so that A Sip Of Eden can serve as a long-term resource for connection, encouragement, and community development.

Mission

Hope For The Future is a Fairbury-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening our community. Our mission is to create meaningful spaces and opportunities that foster connection, belonging, and hope for individuals of all ages in Jefferson County.

Our first major initiative, A Sip Of Eden, is designed to become a welcoming community gathering space in Fairbury. Open Monday through Saturday from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.—hours when few other gathering spaces are available—A Sip Of Eden will provide a safe and inviting environment where people can connect, recharge, and feel supported.

The space will feature two levels of seating and entertainment areas, cozy food options, fountain drinks and hot beverages, and dedicated rental rooms for small groups and community events. Beyond being a café-style venue, A Sip Of Eden will serve as a hub for encouragement, recovery, fellowship, and relationship-building.

Through this project, we aim to:

Establish a venue intentionally designed to promote hope and meaningful connection. Research shows social connection significantly improves health, longevity, and overall well-being.
Provide youth with a safe, welcoming environment to gather with friends and develop a sense of belonging.
Offer young adults a positive social space for building relationships.
Create accessible meeting space for senior coffee groups, card clubs, and community gatherings.
Provide spiritual encouragement through peer counseling, weekly worship and prayer evenings, and exposure to uplifting Christian music.
Host Celebrate Recovery, a Christ-centered 12-step recovery program.
Create a community “Donation Wall” to honor supporters who help bring this vision to life.

A Sip Of Eden will be more than a business—it will be a sustainable ministry and community asset designed to serve Jefferson County for generations.

Endorsements:

As leaders of 5 Star Bible Camp, we have the privilege each summer of watching young people grow in faith, friendships, and confidence right here in Fairbury. A Sip of Eden is the kind of place that will someday extend that same spirit of encouragement and connection throughout the entire year—a safe, welcoming environment where relationships could be built and lives strengthened. We are grateful for this investment in our community and wholeheartedly support Hope for the Future’s vision to create a space where people of all ages can gather and belong.

— Directors, 5 Star Bible Camp
Amber Dux
Kristina Dux

I am very excited to have A Sip of Eden coming to downtown Fairbury. A faith-based venue offering so many things for all ages has been needed for a long time. It will be in a venue that downtown Fairbury has needed filled for some time.

Welcome to Fairbury!
Mayor Kelly Davis

At FCA on Wednesday nights we provide a meal and Bible study which promotes a safe and Godly experience for our youth. It also provides a place to build relationships and hope our youth desperately needs.

Five Star Bible camp is a weeklong camp that provides youth an experience with Jesus Christ that has been growing for 30 years. I love our youth, and I have been involved with both of these endeavors.

“A Sip of Eden” could continue with this legacy by providing a safe, friendly, hopeful environment for youth and adults to continue with their Christian walk. I highly encourage our community to support “Sip of Eden” to bring a shining star to our community.

Sincerely,
Brad Seitz

You have a vision, a focused mission, a team of bright, hard-working individuals and Jesus as CEO! Now all you need is money. Luke 6:38 tells us - "Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full-pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back." That tells us the more we give the more we get back. Let's pull together and make "A Sip of Eden" Fairbury's newest community accomplishment!

Barbara Bedlan

As a former principal in the Fairbury community, I have seen firsthand the importance of safe, positive places for young people outside the school day. Hope for the Future's inaugural project, A Sip of Eden, will provide a welcoming environment where students and their families can gather, build relationships, access mentoring and counseling, and participate in faith-based and recovery-support opportunities. This project has the potential to be a meaningful asset for families and a source of encouragement and connection for the entire Fairbury community.

Annette Weise

Profile

Hope for the Future is a Fairbury-based nonprofit established in March 2025 with a mission to strengthen and uplift the community emotionally, mentally, and spiritually (non-denominational). Founded by local leaders who share a passion for creating spaces of encouragement and belonging, the organization is dedicated to providing positive opportunities for individuals and families of all ages. Its first major project is A Sip of Eden, a gaming coffeehouse designed to become both a community gathering place and a sustainable funding source for the nonprofit’s ongoing work. Through this initiative and future programs, Hope for the Future aims to inspire connection, support well-being, and build a foundation of hope that lasts for generations.

Hope for the Future is led by a committed board of local leaders who share a passion for service and community growth:

Sharlyn Kroeker – President
Sharlyn Kroeker has been owner/manager of Fairbury 4th St Greenhouse for 22 years with her husband, Al. She has enjoyed raising 9 children (just 3 are in the home now) and has 5 grandchildren.
Christina Jurgena – Treasurer
Christina Jurgena has worked 17 years for Blue Valley Community Action as well as almost 3 years with H&R Block. She is on the Fairbury Wavebreakers swim team board and volunteers for many of her children's activities. She has been married for 22 years with Tyrone Jr. and has 2 children.
Jennifer Galbraith – Secretary
Jennifer Galbraith moved to Fairbury August 27, 2024. She is the Deputy Clerk at the Jefferson County District Court. She moved to Fairbury because her husband, Gregg, is the Superintendent of Rock Creek Station. They’ve been married for 27 years and have two grown children and two dogs, Pepper and Scout.
Keith Feisel
Pastor Keith Feisel moved to Nebraska five years ago to pastor the Zion Countryside Church in Gladstone. He has been involved in ministry and volunteer work since 1979. He and Nancy have three daughters and two grandchildren. He enjoys reading, writing (not arithmetic!), drawing, and the outdoors.
Karen Dux
Karen Dux has been a teacher in the Fairbury school system for over 40 years. She has also been a part of Five Star Bible Camp since its opening almost 30 years ago. Karen has been married to Stephen for 43 years, and they have two sons and five grandchildren in the Fairbury area.
Bob Bartels

Robert Bartels spent the majority of his working years at Store Kraft Manufacturing in Beatrice (39 yrs). After its closure, he worked for a couple businesses in Fairbury before retiring in 2021. Since then, he has been involved in various helps ministries. Bob has been married to Wilma Bartels for 38 years.