Author: hudson52_wp

If you would like any information on becoming a member of the HCPA, pass along helpful information, help us secure allies in the community, volunteer for a clean up event, or just leave a comment, simply send an email to our President or Vice President and they will be happy to follow up.

---

Mailing Address:

Hudson Cemetery Preservation Association PO BOX 5105 Hudson FL 34674

Email: President-Henri Pichal

henri1465@aol.com

Phone Contact:

(813) 240-7613

 

 To assist in achieving our organizations initiatives, we created a Go Fund Me account at https://www.gofundme.com/hudsoncemetery. Please feel free to share this link with family, friends, and local supporters in the community so we can expand our community efforts and bring about a permanent solution for the upkeep of the Hudson Cemetery.

Thank you!

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Who We Are:

We are the Hudson Cemetery Preservation Association Inc (HCPA). We’re a non-profit organization comprised of friends, family, and community members with one common goal; to preserve and maintain the Hudson Cemetery located at the northwest corner of US19 & Hudson Ave in Hudson, FL! 

Why We Are Raising Money:

The HCPA has approximately 25 members who pay annual dues to assist with the ongoing care required to preserve this historic site but recent events have  depleted our organization’s bottom line so we are reenergizing our efforts. We rely on members, board members, and community volunteers to “pitch in” and the support our cause, and the response has been fantastic. Our recent clean-up efforts have been supported by local organizations including the American Legion, Hudson High School, Crews Lake Middle School, Boy Scouts, 335 Riders, veteran organizations and Dobies Funeral Home , just to name a few. The support we have experienced from the community is inspiring but we must move forward with some essential initiatives in order to achieving our goal, and that will require additional funding. Whether you can contribute a monetary donation, lawn care service, trash collection, signage, or simply your individual talent/services, 100% of every  donation will go directly to our cause.

What would the money be used for? 

Monetary donations will be used to fund the following initiatives:

Secure year-round lawn service. We would ideally like to find a local contractor willing to donate their services or provide an affordable solution for year round maintenance. Periodically throughout the year we coordinate a volunteer clean-up event but monthly mowing, weeding, and sand spur control are a priority. Currently paying $200 a month for landscaping, which equates to more than our annual membership dues.

Trash Collection and Loitering. Excessive trash and issues inherent with a consistent presence of homeless persons is an on-going challenge to preservation and safety.

Repair and replace sections of fence that have been destroyed or damaged.

Restore signage and add additional signage, for name recognition, contact info for public, and general security.

Pursue 501(c)3 tax-exempt status. This will enable tax deductions for donors who make contributions and the ability to obtain private and public grant money for our cause. Approx $500.

Reboot previous efforts to have the Hudson Cemetery  included in the National Registry of Historic Places. Apply with State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).

Plotting efforts and online cemetery database. The goal of restoring the cemetery, identifying graves, and plotting available sites for future revenue will be an ongoing priority.

Maintain necessary lighting for the safety. Work with county to provide essential services and possible security cameras for monitoring/reporting.

Online presence. Social media has changed the game for private fundraising and community reinvestment. HCPA has created a website to take advantage of this change and we invite you to visit us at  http://hudsoncemetery.com/. We will be using this site as a centralized location to leave comments and suggestions, apply for membership, learn of upcoming events, and more. We are also creating a Facebook page for more exposure.

Continue working in unison with Pasco County officials, community organizations, funeral homes, and businesses. Our goal is to secure enough funding to maintain a year-round plan for upkeep for this, and future, generations.

Let’s be honest. There are many worthy causes out there and money is hard to come by these days. Why should you help? 

The Hudson Cemetery is rich in Pasco County history. In this place rests Hudson community members, from war veterans to elected officials, but all are special to us, regardless of name or rank. Our efforts at HCPA are a microcosm of the challenge facing American cities across the state of Florida and beyond, preservation. If we don’t bind together, plan for continuity, and pass along to the next generation the significance of being involved and respecting those who came before us, who will?

On a personal note, thank you for taking the time to read about our campaign. Over the past 50 years we have been moving this mission along and it has not been without challenges, many of which are culminating in

https://www.gofundme.com/hudsoncemetery

 

As a non profit organization we rely on the kindness of our members, and friends in the community, to maintain the general appearance of the cemetery. In January of this year, then again in May, we joined together with local organizations such as the American Legion, 335 Riders, Crews Lake Middle School, Hudson High School, the Boy Scouts, and Dobies Funeral Home. Tremendous progress has been made by these two coordinated efforts. The palm trees were trimmed with precision by our volunteers and local youth were out in force to help for the clean up effort prior to the Memorial Day ceremony.

Sue with American Legion, Thomas Dobies, & Henri Pichal (HCPA).

Thanks for the pizza Mr. Dobie. Sue, you rock!

It’s our members that make us shine!

And to all our little helpers, great job. Same time next year.