A GoFundMe campaign has been organized to support three former employees of the Casowasco Camp & Retreat Center who lost their jobs and homes after the facility suspended programming earlier this month.
The fundraiser, created by Adam Bacher, seeks to assist Rev. Theresa Eggleston, Chris Cockram, and Adam Parish as they face sudden and significant financial and logistical challenges. The staff, some of whom lived on-site for years, were given just 30 days to vacate their housing. Eggleston later received an extension.
According to GoFundMe, the staff were underpaid during their time at Casowasco but stayed out of passion for the ministry. Now, without savings to fall back on, they face immediate financial strain as they transition to new living and employment situations.
The Upper New York Conference of the United Methodist Church, which oversees Casowasco, cited financial difficulties—including $2 million in deferred maintenance and declining attendance—as reasons for suspending programming at the Scipio site through the fall.
The fundraiser highlights the contributions of these staff members to the Casowasco ministry and calls on the community to offer their support. “This isn’t the first call for help, and it won’t be the last, but it is a very important one,” Bacher added on the campaign page.
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