JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — (The video above is from a previous report)
An animal non-profit in Jacksonville asking for help to purchase the land it currently operates on in order to continue to serve the community.
Celestial Farms, located near Jacksonville International Airport, houses rescued farm animals. The farm also provides educational experiences for children in the Jacksonville area.
The organization says the land on which it operates needs to be purchased by June 29, 2022 in order to stay open.
"Over the past 8 months we have made significant changes and are fortunate to be able to handle our monthly bills, costs of day to day operation, and animal care," said Celestial Farms on Facebook. "But the mortgage balloon payment that we need is beyond our ability to handle without help."
The nonprofit says it's currently working with loan officers, but would still "greatly appreciate any extra donations you could give."
To make a donation, you can visit the organization's GoFundMe page. As of Tuesday night, the fundraiser has raised almost $22,000 of it's $300,000 goal.
Celestial Farms says that if it's able to purchase the land, improvements to both the way it operates and the services provided will help increase it's value to the community it serves.
"We’ve added vendor markets to not only to support local businesses in our community but to create a network and provide bi-monthly events for you and your family," said the organization on it's fundraising page.
"Behind the scenes, we have been reorganizing and reconfiguring the inner workings of the farm- including but not limited to: sponsorship programs, volunteer opportunities, birthday parties, private events, farmschool days, field trips, service projects, and community outreach."
The farm, which has been operating for nine years, has hundreds of rescued animals, including free-range chickens and ducks that greet visitors at the entrance. The farm also has goats, cows, pigs, turkeys, and rabbits.
RELATED: Celestial Farms offering new events, wedding venue to draw in visitors after pandemic slump
