Dear Chappaquiddick Friends and Neighbors,
You may have heard that the MV Land Bank is acquiring 24.5 acres of the Jeffers property
which stretches from the shores of Cape Poge Bay to the Main Road. This remarkable land will
be preserved for recreation, farming, and the natural beauty we cherish. But there’s one vital
piece they cannot carry forward: “the Chappy Store” - The Land Bank’s charter does not allow it.
That’s where “we” the Chappaquiddick Community Fund come in.
Our Vision
We aim to purchase the one-acre store lot to:
Maintain and revitalize the Chappy Store as a hub for essentials, groceries, and connection.
Shape it to serve today’s needs and into the future — with community input guiding every
step the store will adapt to the needs of Chappaquiddickers today and for many years to come.
Look ahead to help our own with housing by including an affordable housing opportunity on
this lot.
What We Need — Now
Your voice. What should the new store offer? Your ideas will help make it thrive both for the
community and the people running it.
Your expertise. We need volunteer legal and financial professionals, fundraising help, and
future design/build support.
Your readiness. We’re not asking for donations just yet — but soon. Once we finalize the plan,
secure environmental assurances, and complete a Phase I outline, we’ll need your support to
make this dream real.
Use the Feedback Survey link to share your information or use the email address below.
The Stakes
If we don’t act, the store will be gone — forever. No second chances.
The purchase price of the store lot is $292,000. Additional funds will be required for surveys,
permits, utilities, and building improvements. With the support of the Land Bank and the Jeffers
family, the site is being remediated for a clean transfer — all we need is the will and unity to
move forward. And, if for reasons not foreseen, we purchase the property and the store and/or
housing can’t work, the Land Bank will purchase back the property at the original purchase
price.
Who are we?
We are the Chappaquiddick Community Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded to strengthen our
island’s infrastructure and support its people. Our founding project was helping Chappy residents who needed assistance in paying the deposit for comcast wiring. We are reorganizing now for this project and other opportunities in the future..
Let’s come together — not just to save a store, but to build something lasting. Something worthy of Chappy’s past, and its future.
With gratitude and hope,
The Chappaquiddick Community Fund - Woody Filley, President
info@thechappyfund.org