Thanksgiving Thanks

With Thanksgiving just days away it feels like perfect timing to reflect on those who make the wheels turn here at the Health Center. We could not care for so many of our friends and neighbors in need without our hard-working providers, tireless staff, dedicated Board of Directors and volunteers, and of course our generous and caring community.

Our donors—and donations—come in all shapes and sizes. Grateful patients, well-known philanthropists, family foundations, and you! All understand and embrace our mission and help us carry it out each day. We are grateful for them all.

Without the ongoing support from so many, we could not provide affordable primary and preventive care, mental health services, and dental care to the most needy children, adults, and families in our community. The majority of our patients have turned to the Health Center because they could not access this care elsewhere due to financial, cultural, and other barriers. In about a year, our new addition will allow 5,000 more patients to turn here.

We are so pleased to provide a shoulder to lean on for those in need, and proud of this community that has allowed us to do so. Thank you.

We have lift-off!

Christy Murphy, JK Scanlan’s project manager, gave us a brief update last week and reported that the Health Center received its final building permit on November 2, which gave the green light to officially begin!

Last week things got going in a hurry as the site work subcontractors cleared the area of all the trees and brush. A silt fence for erosion control will be installed next and then the site will be enclosed by the construction fence. Our total construction timeline will be about 9.5 months. Building construction will begin in early December and JK Scanlan hopes to have the building “weather tight” by late February. The construction process should be concluded in late July. Once the certificate of occupancy and all licensure approvals are received, we will move in! We hope to be settled into our new space by late September 2012.

“Stay tuned…. the big hole in the ground is coming in the next couple of weeks,” Murphy says.

News from the Campaign Committee

The Health Center’s Campaign Committee met last week after Philanthropy Day on Cape Cod, an annual event for local non-profits and their staff and volunteers, businesses, and community members to get together, share, learn and celebrate philanthropy. We were thrilled that committee members Joel Peterson and Jim Franklin, as well as a Board Member Brenda Swithenbank and CEO Karen Gardner attended the event.

While the day overall was a huge success and very positive, there was a common feeling that fundraising was very difficult for organizations across the board this year and numbers were down. This is no surprise due to the current economic climate. While raising the funds for our new addition has proven challenging this year, we know that our community needs this facility more than ever.

Thanks to many philanthropists, friends, foundations, and businesses we have raised nearly $2 million for this project. With about $1.2 million left, we are confident that our entire community will come together to see that this goal is met, and that our friends and neighbors in need have a place to receive high-quality, affordable healthcare for years to come.

If you would like to help us reach our goal for the Building for the Future Expansion Campaign, please call the Development Office at 508-477-5990 to discuss your wishes and how you can help. Thank you for your support!