FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 7, 2013
COH Contact: Leah Garrett, (202) 664-0091, lgarrett@cohdc.org
Washington, DC – Community of Hope has received a $1.75 million gift from William E. Conway, Jr. and Joanne Barkett Conway through their charitable trust, the Bedford Falls Foundation. The largest gift from individuals in Community of Hope’s history, the Conways’ gift will be used towards a workforce development program for entry level healthcare workers as well as the construction of The Conway Health and Resource Center at 4 Atlantic St, SW, named in honor of their significant investment.
Bill Conway, Co-CEO of the Carlyle Group said, “I heard about Community of Hope in my search for ideas about how to create jobs. Their initiative to build a new health center in Ward 8 along with a job training program to hire Ward 8 residents was a great idea. It combines our interests in supporting low-income families, creating sustainable jobs in the healthcare industry, and investing in a strong nonprofit. My wife and I are thrilled to support such a great organization as they increase the number of people they serve.”
Executive Director Kelly Sweeney McShane says, “I am so grateful to Joanne and Bill Conway for their generous support of Community of Hope and our vision of healthy, thriving, financially secure families. Thanks to their gift, we will create significant new access to healthcare for families in Ward 8 as well as train and hire Ward 8 residents for the new jobs created at the health center. In a neighborhood with high rates of unemployment and poor health outcomes, their generosity will greatly benefit the whole community.”
$1.25 million of the gift will be used towards Community of Hope’s One Step Closer Campaign to cover the costs associated with building, equipping, and beginning operations at the new health center. The Conways have challenged Community of Hope’s friends and donors and anyone else sharing this vision for Ward 8 with an additional $250,000 as a matching grant to complete the campaign. Another $250,000 will be used towards developing a soft skills curriculum for training entry level healthcare workers with customer service skills, representing a second gift from the Conways for this project.
The Conway Health and Resource Center will provide up to 40,000 medical, dental, and behavioral health visits to approximately 10,000 residents and provide about 50 new jobs when fully operational. The construction is due to be completed in December 2013. Funding for the $26.6 million project was initiated through the DC Primary Care Association’s (DCPCA) Medical Homes DC program. DCPCA’s Medical Homes DC program is made possible, in part, by generous support from the DC Department of Health. In addition, the HHS Health Resources and Services Administration, many area foundations and individuals have contributed to the new health and resource center.
For over 30 years, Community of Hope has served low-income, homeless, and underserved families and individuals in the District of Columbia by providing healthcare, housing with supportive services, and educational opportunities. Community of Hope is the winner of the Washington Post 2012 Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management.
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