The Fence!

Below is a copy of the letter I'll be delivering to the neighbors. We need help to pay for the fence along the walkway. If you can contribute anything, contact me ASAP.
Beth
Hello Neighbors!

My name is Beth Mennemeyer and I live at 938 Morrison Ave. I’m leading the crew that is converting the vacant lot at 1314 10th to a community garden. We have good news: we have been given the go ahead from the city to make this project happen! We have much planned, including cleaning out the lot, building a butterfly garden, and building raised planter beds. Our first order of business, however, is a fence for the lot.
When we initially surveyed the area about the garden, many residents felt that it was very important to put a fence on the lot at the western edge, along 10th street walkway. The open area has become a short cut between the alley and 10th for both cars and pedestrians. There has recently been an increase in petty vandalism near this lot, with the short cut providing an easy escape route. We’d like to change all that by building a fence across the 10th street walkway opening.
To be honest, we’re working with a very small - some might say non-existent - budget. We’re researching grants to help fund the project but we feel very strongly that the fence can’t wait. Several of you have previously offered to help with the fencing project, either through donating money or time to help install it. I’m writing to you to take you up on that offer.
The total cost for the fence along the walkway is $384. It’s a pressure treated wood fence with posts set into concrete - this fence will hold up for quite some time. To save money, we’ll be having ‘fence installation’ days instead of hiring someone. Thankfully, my husband, Marc Brooks, is very handy with power tools and can oversee a great installation.
Right now, $384 is a very daunting number. The neighbors who will be gardening in this lot are shouldering the cost of building their own planter bed and filling it with soil, which makes it very difficult to shoulder the cost of the fence as well. It leaves us in a bit of a bind; without active gardening in the lot we risk losing our lease and any opportunity to improve the lot. But gardening in the lot without the fence in a continuing security risk to the gardeners and surrounding neighbors.
We’re hoping you can help. We are accepting donations in any amount to pay for the fence project. You don’t have to be a garden member to help us out with this project but if you’d like to garden with us we’d love to have you! If you’d like to make a donation, please contact me, Beth Mennemeyer, at 3145881928 or cidersapling@gmail.com. Please do not give a donation to anyone else. If you want to help during installation, we’ll be hard at work March 3 and 4, 2012 to get this project done. Everyone is welcome.

Thanks!
Beth Mennemeyer

Cost of Fence
39ft span across the western edge of 1314 10th street:
Posts (4”x4”x8’), six at a cost of $6 Stringers (2”x4”x8’), 10 at a cost of $3 Fence Boards (5/8”x5 ½”x72”), 85 at a cost of $2 Gothic Post toppers, six at $4 Concrete mix for post holes (40lbs), five at a cost of $3 Metal brackets for posts, six at a cost of $5
JBolts for bracket/posts, six at a cost of $1 Tool rental for post hole digger $73 Screws for assembly (5lb box), one at a cost of $30