Letter from the Board Chair and CEO

Dear Friends, 

This has been a year of firsts as we both entered new leadership roles at Mary’s Center, as Board Chair and Chief Executive Officer. Our collective 10+ years with the organization, and your support, gave us the insight and momentum we needed to hit the ground running and humbly advance the work of those who came before us.

COVID-19 continues to take precedence as we navigate new variants and pivot to administer new vaccines and booster shots to protect our community. We are proud that Mary’s Center has been at the forefront of care since the beginning of the pandemic, collaborating with government agencies and partners at the community and federal levels.

Mary’s Center has consistently been one of the first community health centers to receive shipments of vaccines as they are approved for new age groups. Access is our top priority, and we are now offering free walk-in vaccines to all community members over 6 months old. Through June 2022, we have administered nearly 50,000 doses of the vaccine to over 27,000 people, including more than 5,000 children under 12.

In many ways, the pandemic has brought about a “new normal,” and that extends to Mary’s Center’s fundraising efforts. Earlier this year, the Board of Directors and executive leadership decided not to host the annual Mary’s Center gala in 2022. We made this choice with valuable feedback from our supporters, all of whom noted the increasing costs of hosting events. By forgoing the gala, we can direct more funds to our critical healthcare, education, and social services to further our impact on the community.

We are truly grateful to everyone who strengthened Mary’s Center this past year through gifts of your time and resources. With this generosity, we launched the Maria S. Gomez Scholarship for Nursing to continue the legacy of our dear founder. Seven deserving staff were selected as 2022 scholarship recipients to fulfill their aspirations of becoming a nurse and achieving economic stability.

As we look ahead, we encourage you to support Mary’s Center with an investment in better futures for our neighbors. Your donation or sponsorship will help provide the $7 million in unreimbursed medical, dental, and behavioral health care that our most under-resourced participants depend on each year.

Thank you so much for standing by Mary’s Center through our year of transitions, and we look forward to partnering with you toward our shared mission for many years to come.

Warm Regards,

 

Wendy Goldberg

Board Chair

Tollie B. Elliott, Sr., MD

Chief Executive Officer