EDITOR’S NOTE:
Mahomet Chamber Award Winners
Business of the Year–P&P Heating and Cooling
Emerging Business of the Year–Core Concepts
Community Impact–The Open Room
Ann Paul Community Servant–Mark Kesler
Lyn Ferdinand Volunteer of the Year–Michael Hernandez
Ambassador of the Year–George Schoonover
NOTE: The Mahomet Daily will feature each of these winners in upcoming days.
By FRED KRONER
The Open Room, in downtown Mahomet, is literally what the name implies.
It’s a room that is open. To all.
The price is right. There is no charge.
The room, at 407 E. Main, is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. until noon on Saturdays. Other times are available for reservations by request.
Not surprisingly, on Thursday night (March 31), The Open Room received the Community Impact award at the annual Mahomet Area Chamber of Commerce banquet, at the Champaign Holiday Inn.
“The Open Room is mostly just a space, a beautiful space on Main Street that is open for anyone to enjoy,” founder Christine Henrichs said. “It is a space whose goal is to ‘refresh, renew, restore.’
“The hope is that whether a person needs a place of quiet respite, or a place to catch up with a friend, or a place to host their special event, The Open Room can provide that space. The space is comfortable and cheerful, and designed to encourage experiences of peace and joy.”
The concept for such an area was the brainchild of Henrichs, who shared the idea with friends in 2019 to gauge their reaction.
Their exuberance matched hers, and plans were formulated.
“The Open Room exists solely to love and serve our community,” Henrichs said. “It is such a blessing to know that the community enjoys the space and appreciates our efforts.
“The day-to-day operations of The Open Room may be handled by a few individuals, but its success is owed to many more. It is truly a testament to the fact that a community can come together to create something beautiful.
“It speaks to the power of generosity.”
The Open Room is in its second location since the doors were unlocked and the community was welcomed inside.
For the first year, it was across the street from its current location, at 404 E. Main.
For Henrichs, a Mahomet-Seymour graduate, the vision for such a gathering place goes back a decade.
“I had the dream approximately 10 years ago for a space in downtown Mahomet that would be a center of worship and growth, open to all,” she said.
The 404 E. Main site was originally looked at by the church which Henrichs attends, Grafted Fellowship. When that didn’t materialize, Henrichs saw that as a sign.
“That left the door open for my dream,” she said.
She contacted six friends, shared her desire, and made a simple – but significant – request.
“I asked them each if they would commit $100 a month for one year along with their time and energy to see if it could be successful,” Henrichs said.
She didn’t need to ask twice.
Joining her in the venture were Heidi Hanson, April Hoffmeister, Tammy Kesler, Erin Miller, Pam Scott and Judy Webb.
“Each of them enthusiastically said ‘yes’ and we were off and running,” Henrichs said.
The first year, The Open Room offered free yoga classes, a winter coat drive, movie nights, a book club, community prayer, Night of Thanksgiving, and an Advent service.
Though the lease at the original location was terminated in May, 2020, after one year, Henrichs had no regrets.
“The year at 404 allowed the community to get to know us and when the need came to raise funds for our renovation we were blown away by support and generosity,” she said.
In a matter of months, The Open Room had renovated and relocated to the 407 E. Main Street address. The official reopening took place in September, 2020.
“Amazingly we closed on a new space just one month later (after the lease was terminated, in June, 2020),” Henrichs said. “It ended up being the perfect time and location for the new Open Room.”
Since the site is not staffed during the hours it is open, Henrichs said it is difficult to pinpoint exactly how many people have taken advantage of it during the past 19 months.
She has some clues, however.
“We have always been provided for with hardly an ask,” Henrichs said. “People donate money unpromoted to show their appreciation. Coffee pods appear when supply is low.
“Our walk gets mysteriously shoveled. Even though the space is not staffed, nothing has ever been intentionally harmed or stolen. There seems to be a general love of the space and a responsibility to love it in return.
“Nothing about The Open Room has been hard or stressful.”
A large assortment of groups and individuals make use of The Open Room.
“There are groups scheduled almost daily,” Henrichs said, “either before it opens, after it closes or in the back conference room during open hours.”
Among those are: Pinnacle Forum, Mahomet Rotary, Widow Support, FFA Alumni, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Grafted Fellowship.
“During the day, we often have tutoring groups, study sessions, friends meeting for coffee, or work meetings,” Henrichs added. “The Open Room has become a popular place to have events such as birthday parties, support groups, and organizational meetings.
“The Open Room also hosts its own events that are always open to the public. Right now, we are doing a Lord’s Prayer meditation series, a book club, worship nights, and prayer walking.
“It is also a great place to meet a friend for coffee or sit and have a quiet place to study. We operate on donations and are so grateful for the many people who have given.”
The Open Room board is composed of Joyce Baldwin, Christine Henrichs, Heidi Hanson, Tammy Kesler, Erin Miller, Pam Scott and Judy Webb.
“Board members open and close the space, keep it stocked and cleaned, and plan special events,” said Henrichs, who has lived in Mahomet with her husband, Jeremy, for 18 years. They have four children: Annie (19), Sam (18), Ellie (15), and Josef (7).
In June 2020, The Open Room became an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Other finalists in the Community Impact division were Alice and Matt Pommier with Mahomet Landscapes, and Matt Difanis Remax.
The category is open to groups or individuals who “give time and resources without recognition or fanfare to make Mahomet a great place to live, work or shop,” said Walter Pierce, executive director of the Mahomet Area Chamber of Commerce.
