The Gathering Place: A Visible Fund story from Tulovo, Bulgaria

The team in Bulgaria had 6 weeks to come up with $30,000.

A Visible Fund investment paved the way for them to launch a youth center in a building they now own - and once repaid, those same dollars went on to create change in other communities around the world.

For years, Margie and her husband Keith have worked alongside local leaders in Tulovo, a small Bulgarian town where Roma and Bulgarian families live side by side but rarely sit at the same table.

The abandoned building they rented in the center of town became The Gathering Place - the one spot where the town's teenagers, especially Roma kids, were welcome every day. Then the owners called: they were ready to sell, and Margie had first chance. Her supporters would have raised the money; they just didn't have six weeks.

The Visible Fund bridged the gap, her community repaid it over the next few years, and today The Gathering Place hosts community meals where neighbors of every background sit down together.

We sat down with Margie, our Catalyst in Tulovo, Bulgaria, to hear how it happened.