Privacy and scope. This log does not publish private email addresses, phone numbers, private family logistics, or full private correspondence. Test messages are excluded. Public-facing organizations and project-relevant contacts are summarized, and repeated follow-ups are combined.
114people / organizations logged
16entries with a response or acknowledgment
6entries needing delivery follow-up
Last updated: October 12, 2026. Contact dates are shown below; repeated follow-ups are grouped together.
Loyola, former staff, and Margee’s circle
People and organizations contacted because of their direct connection to the property, Margee Iddings, former staff, donors, guests, or the retreat’s history.
| Contact | Date | Why we contacted them | Status / response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Van Meter | Oct. 2 | Asked about Margee, Rising Phoenix, and the possibility of preserving the retreat around Margee’s own legacy. | Contacted; follow-up sent Oct. 5. Awaiting further response. |
| Loyola Retreat Center general office | Oct. 2 | Asked about staying after the open house and began contact regarding the property. | Contact made; retreat center had closed May 31. |
| Stephanie Hipsley | Oct. 4 | Asked for help reconnecting original Rising Phoenix donors and later discussed the retreat’s future. | Acknowledged October 6, 2026. Responded positively after receiving the Rising Phoenix Legacy website and expressed appreciation for the preservation presentation. Earlier: Responded. Shared encouragement and, in conversation, willingness to help if a viable preservation effort develops. |
| Nicole Mattucci · Loyola | Oct. 4 | Contacted after Stephanie’s automatic reply to continue the preservation inquiry. | Contacted; later informed that Helen Schneider was handling the conversation. |
| Helen Schneider · Loyola | Oct. 5 | Asked Loyola about reconnecting donors and whether there was a path to preserve the property. | Responded and held a phone call Oct. 6. Agreed Loyola would receive a preservation proposal for consideration; no terms have been agreed. |
| Judy Vogel & David Glaser | Oct. 4 | Asked whether they were the donors named on the retreat plaque and invited them into the preservation effort. | Contacted; website follow-up sent Oct. 5. Awaiting response. |
| Matt Minahan | Oct. 4 | Asked about the donor-plaque connection and people who might know Margee or help reconnect the old community. | Contacted; follow-ups sent. Awaiting response. |
| Gloria Carpeneto | Oct. 4 | Asked about her connection to Margee and the retreat and invited help preserving the property and history. | Responded October 6, 2026. Shared that she posted on the Rising Phoenix website, asked former retreatants to contribute photographs and memories, and began contacting others who may be interested in the preservation effort, including someone close to Margee. Earlier: Responded. Posted on the website, contacted former retreatants, asked for photographs and memories, and began reaching out to others. |
| Karen Custer | Oct. 4 | Asked about her donor-plaque connection and memories of Margee and Rising Phoenix. | Responded October 6, 2026. Shared additional history about Margee’s transition to Loyola ownership, including that Margee understood the retreat model would change and was relieved to step away from an unsustainable financial workload. She also said she knew a few people to whom she could pass the preservation information. Earlier: Responded with detailed memories of Margee’s hospitality, care for women rebuilding their lives, and support of local artists. She has helped reconnect another original supporter. |
| Susan Pearcy | Oct. 4 | Asked whether she was the donor named on the plaque and invited her to reconnect with the preservation effort. | Contacted; website follow-up sent Oct. 5. Awaiting response. |
| Mary Laymon / Tikkun Farm | Oct. 5 | Asked about Mary’s relationship with Margee and whether she was the Mary Amundson listed on the donor plaque. | Responded. Confirmed the connection, expressed interest in preserving Rising Phoenix’s intent, and offered to share the appeal with another person who knew Margee. |
| Barbara Wrigley | Oct. 5 | Asked about the donor-plaque listing for Barbara Wrigley and Jolynne Flores. | Contacted; website follow-up sent. Awaiting response. |
| Glenn Mays | Oct. 5 | Asked whether he was the Glenn Mays listed on the donor plaque. | Contacted; website follow-up sent. Awaiting response. |
| Drew & Channa Kinohi | Oct. 5 | Asked for help reaching Margee’s family and sharing the preservation effort. | Contacted; website follow-up sent. Awaiting response. |
| Richard Stephan family / Shepherd University Foundation | Oct. 5 | Asked Shepherd University to help pass the Rising Phoenix memorial and preservation inquiry to Richard Stephan’s family. | Responded October 7, 2026. The Shepherd University Foundation said it shared the inquiry internally and would pass the Rising Phoenix information along to Richard Stephan’s family. Earlier: Responded Oct. 7. The Foundation said it shared the inquiry internally and would pass the information to Richard’s family. |
| Shepherd Observatory / Doctor J. Best | Oct. 5 | Asked for help connecting with Richard Stephan’s family through the observatory/endowment network. | Contacted; website follow-up sent. Awaiting response. |
Churches, presbyteries, and faith communities
Faith communities contacted either because of a historical connection to Margee or the donor plaque, or because they are within roughly 20 miles of the retreat and may be able to help locally.
| Contact | Date | Why we contacted them | Status / response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presbyterian Church of Easton / New Castle Presbytery | Oct. 4 | Asked the presbytery to help reach the Easton congregation and people connected to names on the retreat plaque. | Responded October 5, 2026. Referred the funding inquiry to the congregation’s clerk of session and explained that the Presbyterian Church (USA) does not directly grant or fund retreat centers, though it supports and partners with existing centers through its camps and conference-center network. Earlier: Responded with a referral/connection; follow-up sent with the website. |
| Westminster Presbyterian Church · Washington, DC | Oct. 4 | Asked for help reconnecting people named on the retreat plaque. | Contacted; website follow-up sent. Awaiting response. |
| Clarendon Presbyterian Church | Oct. 4 | Asked for help reaching people connected to Margee’s wider Presbyterian network. | Contacted; website follow-up sent. Awaiting response. |
| Manchester Church of the Brethren | Oct. 4 | Asked the church to forward the preservation appeal to Jim and Debra Chinworth. | Acknowledged October 5, 2026. Confirmed that the preservation inquiry was forwarded to Jim and Debra Chinworth. Earlier: Responded Oct. 5 and confirmed the message was forwarded. |
| Silver Spring Presbyterian Church | Oct. 4 | Asked for historical information and introductions connected to Margee and names on the plaque. | Contacted; website follow-up sent. Awaiting response. |
| Takoma Park Presbyterian Church | Oct. 4 | Asked for help reconnecting donor-plaque names with the retreat’s history. | Contacted; website follow-up sent. Awaiting response. |
| Gethsemane Baptist Church | Oct. 4 | Asked for help forwarding the preservation effort to people connected to the Morris family named on the plaque. | Contacted; website follow-up sent. Awaiting response. |
| Rockville Presbyterian Church | Oct. 4 | Asked for help reaching people connected to the Briscoe family on the plaque. | Contacted; website follow-up sent. Awaiting response. |
| Peace Presbyterian Church | Oct. 5 | Asked for help reaching Judi Creneti, whose name appears in related historical records. | Contacted; website follow-up sent. Awaiting response. |
| Trinity Presbyterian Church · Herndon & National Capital Presbytery | Oct. 7 | Asked whether Margee’s story and the preservation effort could be shared with the Presbyterian Women gathering on Saturday, Oct. 10. | Responded October 8, 2026. A Presbyterian Women gathering organizer offered to share a brief announcement about Rising Phoenix at the October 10 gathering and requested a one-page notice. A follow-up notice was delivered later on October 8. This is an awareness opportunity, not a funding or organizational commitment. |
| Piney Plains UMC / Catalpa UMC | Oct. 7 | Invited a nearby congregation to share the preservation effort and connect potential helpers. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Flintstone United Methodist Charge | Oct. 7 | Invited one of the closest local church networks to help connect people who could assist. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Emmanuel Baptist Church · Great Cacapon | Oct. 7 | Local church outreach asking for prayer, introductions, and possible preservation help. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| St. Patrick / St. Peter Catholic parishes | Oct. 7 | Asked local Catholic leadership to help connect retreat-ministry, nonprofit, philanthropic, or preservation expertise. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Hancock Assembly of God | Oct. 7 | Local church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Hancock Presbyterian Church | Oct. 7 | Local church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| St. Thomas Episcopal Parish · Hancock | Oct. 7 | Local church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Buck Valley Christian Church | Oct. 7 | Local church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Clearville Community Church | Oct. 7 | Local church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Needmore Bible Church | Oct. 7 | Local church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Woodrow Union Church | Oct. 7 | Local church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Bethel Assembly of God · Oldtown | Oct. 7 | Local church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Berkeley Baptist Church | Oct. 7 | Local church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Union Chapel UMC | Oct. 7 | Local church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Calvary Bible Church · Berkeley Springs | Oct. 7 | Local church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| St. Mark’s Episcopal Church · Berkeley Springs | Oct. 7 | Local church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Berkeley Springs Presbyterian Church | Oct. 7 | Local church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Word of Deliverance Church | Oct. 7 | Local church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Warm Springs Baptist Church | Oct. 7 | Local church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church | Oct. 7 | Local Catholic parish preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Parish | Oct. 7 | Asked the parish to help connect Catholic retreat, nonprofit, and philanthropic resources. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Cumberland Community Church | Oct. 7 | Regional church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| City Reach Church · Cumberland | Oct. 7 | Regional church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Cornerstone Baptist Church · Cumberland | Oct. 7 | Regional church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Cumberland Church of Christ | Oct. 7 | Regional church preservation outreach. | Responded October 7, 2026. Said the church is not interested in participating in the preservation effort. |
| Freedom Christian Church | Oct. 7 | Regional church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Emmanuel Episcopal Parish · Cumberland | Oct. 7 | Regional church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| First Presbyterian Church · Cumberland | Oct. 7 | Regional church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| St. Paul’s Lutheran Church · Cumberland | Oct. 7 | Regional church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Central Assembly of God · Cumberland | Oct. 7 | Regional church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Trinity Lutheran Church · Cumberland | Oct. 7 | Regional church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| St. Luke’s Lutheran Church · Cumberland | Oct. 7 | Regional church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Wellspring Church · Berkeley Springs | Oct. 7 | Regional church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| First UMC · Berkeley Springs | Oct. 7 | Regional church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Trinity-Asbury UMC | Oct. 7 | Regional church preservation outreach. | Delivery failed; alternate current contact is needed. |
| Hope Community Church | Oct. 7 | Regional church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Berkeley Springs Seventh-day Adventist Church | Oct. 7 | Regional church preservation outreach. | Sent; delivery confirmation was still pending at last check. |
| Mount Zion UMC · Berkeley Springs area | Oct. 7 | Regional church preservation outreach. | Delivery failed; alternate current contact is needed. |
| Mount Olivet UMC | Oct. 7 | Regional church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| New Vision Baptist Church | Oct. 7 | Regional church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Michael’s Chapel UMC | Oct. 7 | Regional church preservation outreach. | Delivery failed; alternate current contact is needed. |
| Hancock Church of God | Oct. 7 | Regional church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Hancock UMC | Oct. 7 | Regional church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Grace UMC / Hyndman Lutheran Parish | Oct. 7 | Regional church preservation outreach. | Delivery failed; alternate current contact is needed. |
| First United Church of Christ · Hyndman | Oct. 7 | Regional church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Living Word Lutheran Church · Cumberland | Oct. 7 | Regional church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Hope Springs Christian Fellowship | Oct. 7 | Regional church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Friendship Haven Church | Oct. 7 | Regional church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Lighthouse of Hope | Oct. 7 | Regional church preservation outreach. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Prosperity Methodist Church | Oct. 7 | One of the closest church preservation contacts. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Mountain Top Holiness Church | Oct. 7 | Local church preservation outreach. | Delivery delayed at last check. |
Retreat, ministry, education, and legacy organizations
Organizations contacted because they may have retreat-operations experience, a connection to Margee’s education or ministry, or networks that could help continue the mission.
| Contact | Date | Why we contacted them | Status / response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campfire Collective | Oct. 7 | Asked whether its retreat/camp network could help preserve Margee’s retreat or connect experienced operators. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| United Camps, Conferences & Retreats | Oct. 7 | Asked for operational guidance and possible connections to organizations capable of stewarding a retreat property. | Responded October 12, 2026. Following a conversation, United Camps, Conferences & Retreats clarified that it does not own properties but can serve as an operational partner to a future owner or steward. Under a management agreement, UCCR would conduct a feasibility study and facility inspection for $6,000 plus travel expenses, then recommend facility upgrades and utilization, market positioning, rates, staffing, compliance, capital priorities, and financial sustainability. This identifies a possible operating-support path, not a commitment to acquire, fund, or manage Rising Phoenix. Responded October 9, 2026. United Camps, Conferences & Retreats’ CEO welcomed an opportunity to meet about the preservation inquiry and provided a way to schedule the conversation. This is an offer to talk, not a commitment to operate, fund, acquire, or formally partner with the project. |
| The Claggett Center | Oct. 7 | Asked whether its retreat-ministry experience could help inform or connect a viable future for Rising Phoenix. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Mar-Lu-Ridge | Oct. 7 | Asked for guidance from an established Maryland retreat ministry. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Bon Secours Retreat & Conference Center | Oct. 7 | Asked whether leaders could offer guidance or connections relevant to preserving a retreat ministry. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Wilson College | Oct. 7 | Contacted alumni relations regarding Margee Iddings’ connection to the college and the preservation effort. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Union Theological Seminary | Oct. 7 | Asked the seminary to help reconnect Margee’s alumni/ministry legacy with the preservation effort. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Ghost Ranch | Oct. 7 | Asked about Margee’s connection to Ghost Ranch and whether its community could help preserve her story or mission. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Maryland Women’s Heritage Center | Oct. 7 | Asked whether Margee’s life and work could be recognized as part of Maryland women’s history. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
Preservation, public agencies, and community leadership
Organizations contacted for preservation guidance, public-sector programs, rural development, community coordination, or historic eligibility.
| Contact | Date | Why we contacted them | Status / response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preservation Maryland | Oct. 7 | Asked for urgent preservation guidance regarding Rising Phoenix in Allegany County. | Responded October 7, 2026. The organization said the property does not presently appear to meet its project criteria, which begin with established historic significance and generally involve a property at least 50 years old plus National Register listing, eligibility, or comparable qualities. It invited additional historic information if that assessment is mistaken. No participation was offered at this time. |
| Community Trust Foundation | Oct. 7 | Asked whether the foundation could help convene or connect a preservation effort. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Maryland historical/preservation contacts | Oct. 7 | Asked about historic eligibility, preservation financing, and whether Rising Phoenix could qualify as a Western Maryland heritage asset. | Some messages delivered; two initial addresses bounced and a replacement state contact was also reached. |
| Allegany County leadership | Oct. 7 | Asked county leadership, economic/community-development contacts, and commissioners who should be at the table to preserve and reuse the property. | Responded October 7, 2026. The county tourism director offered a brief conversation to learn more and explore possible introductions. She has included Economic and Community Development staff and suggested that a representative join the call. No county funding or purchase commitment was made. Responded October 7, 2026. The county tourism director offered a brief conversation to learn more and explore possible introductions. She has included Economic and Community Development staff and suggested that a representative join the call. No county funding or purchase commitment was made. |
| USDA Rural Development | Oct. 7 | Asked whether Community Facilities or another rural program could fit a nonprofit retreat-preservation project. | Delivered; automatic acknowledgment received. |
| Maryland rural-development contact | Oct. 7 | Asked about a rural Maryland preservation path before the auction closes. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Tri-County Council for Western Maryland | Oct. 7 | Asked about funding, nonprofit structure, and Western Maryland economic/community-development resources. | Responded October 7, 2026. Advised that a nonprofit tourism project might merit ARC consideration, with funding no earlier than January 2028. Programs support secular uses; EDA was not a fit. Council or CDFI loans would require a strong repayment plan, and financing before the auction was considered unlikely. No funding commitment. |
| Allegany County Chamber of Commerce | Oct. 7 | Asked whether the local business community could help connect people, expertise, donors, or in-kind support. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| The Greater Cumberland Committee | Oct. 7 | Asked whether the committee could help convene the right people around the preservation effort. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
Foundations, philanthropy, and nonprofit structure
Potential funders, philanthropic networks, fiscal sponsors, and organizations that could help create a credible nonprofit ownership or financing path.
| Contact | Date | Why we contacted them | Status / response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaplaine Foundation | Oct. 7 | Shared the time-sensitive preservation need and asked whether the foundation could help or connect the effort to appropriate funders. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| The Knott Foundation | Oct. 7 | Asked an urgent retreat-preservation question before the Oct. 27 auction close. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| National Christian Foundation | Oct. 7 | Asked whether its Christian giving network could connect the preservation effort with appropriate donors. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Catholic Community Foundation · Archdiocese of Baltimore | Oct. 7 | Asked whether a Catholic philanthropic network might help preserve a former Loyola retreat property. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Presbyterian Foundation | Oct. 7 | Shared Margee’s Presbyterian legacy and asked whether foundation expertise or donor networks could help. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Frederick County Gives | Oct. 7 | Asked for philanthropic introductions for a Frederick-led preservation effort. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Frederick Women’s Giving Circle | Oct. 7 | Asked whether women philanthropists might be interested in preserving Margee Iddings’ legacy. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Baltimore Women’s Giving Circle | Oct. 7 | Shared the story of a Maryland woman’s retreat legacy facing an Oct. 27 sale. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Appalachia Funders Network | Oct. 7 | Asked for a philanthropic path to preserve an Appalachian Maryland retreat. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Charm City Impact | Oct. 7 | Asked about fiscal sponsorship for a Maryland preservation effort. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Nonprofit fiscal-sponsorship consultant | Oct. 7 | Asked whether an urgent faith-based preservation effort could use an established fiscal sponsor. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| DelFest Foundation | Oct. 7 | Asked for local Allegany County preservation guidance or support. | Delivered; awaiting response. |
| Senator George C. Edwards Fund contact | Oct. 7 | Asked whether the fund might eventually fit a Rising Phoenix preservation project. | Responded October 7, 2026. The contact could not determine whether the project would fit but identified a minimum eligibility requirement: the project must create at least 10 full-time jobs. No funding commitment or eligibility determination was made. |
Other historical and forwarding contacts
Organizations contacted mainly to reconnect specific people named on the donor plaque, memorials, or other historical records.
| Contact | Date | Why we contacted them | Status / response |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Maryland contact for Fred Ducca | Oct. 4; follow-up Oct. 5 | Initial donor-plaque message to Fred Ducca bounced; another UMD contact was asked to forward the inquiry. | Forwarding request delivered; awaiting response. |
| Community Reach | Oct. 4 | Asked for help forwarding the preservation message to Carroll Saussy and Frank Molony. | A recipient later reacted to the follow-up message; no substantive reply yet. |
| Casey Management / Betty Brown Casey legacy | Oct. 4 | Asked whether the organization could connect the preservation effort to Betty Brown Casey’s philanthropic legacy. | Contacted; website follow-up sent. Awaiting response. |
| Railey Realty / Ronnie Wiles | Oct. 4 | Asked for auction clarification and for the preservation inquiry to be forwarded to the appropriate listing/seller contact. | Contacted; website follow-up sent. Awaiting further response. |
| Rice University Alumni Relations | Oct. 5 | Asked alumni relations to forward an inquiry to Judy Poinsett. | Contacted; website follow-up sent. Awaiting response. |
| Montgomery College Alumni | Oct. 5 | Asked for help forwarding an inquiry to former dean Kathy Michaelian. | Contacted; website follow-up sent. Awaiting response. |