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Annual Holiday Gala - 2018

Annual Holiday Gala - 2018

My heart is filled with joy and appreciation to our community on so many levels. On Saturday, December 8th from 6 to 11 pm, Mary's House for Older Adults held its Holiday Gala to acknowledge the need for affordable housing for LGBTQ/SGL Elders and to celebrate the vision of Mary's House to build the first communal housing in Washington, DC.WE are creating welcoming environments in the DMV and throughout the country.

More than 80 people were in attendance to support the emergence of this vision with their time, talents and money. Many thanks to Board of Director members Arie Gray, Andrea Macko, George Kerr, Tom Callahan; Development Coordinator, Dr. Jaimie Gray, and our extraordinary volunteers, Robin Anderson, Myrtle Wilson, Lauren Bennet, Louis Hicks, Rev. Kay Chapman, Stephanie Audain, Ian Brown, Maria Cupri, and L. Philip Brown (who was also a sponsor) and HRC staffer Carl Graci and Officer Raquel. Dr. Amari Pearson-Fields created a winter wonderland transformation, the MC, Micci St Andres, kept us thinking, on track, and in stitches. We were mesmerized by the sultry vocals of Akousa singing Roberta Flack, Nancy Wilson and some holiday favorites, and we got our dance on with the music of DJ Lady D!!

A highlight of the evening was welcoming elected LGBTQ/SGL officials here for the Victory Institute Conference to the event. Thank you Senator Patricia "Pat" Spearman from Nevada; Ms. Shay Franco-Clausen, Director, District 5 at Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority, San Jose, California; Kati Jazzy Gray-Sadler from Philadelphia, and Ms. Andrea Jenkins, City Council Vice President Eighth Ward, Minneapolis MN.

 

Many thanks to Millennium Caterers for showing up and showing out (the salmon melted in your mouth!), and many thanks to Monika Lawrence, who captured the candid moments and moments during the "Step and Repeat".

In addition, Mary's House for Older Adults was able to launch its $1000 Groundbreakers Club, a timed capital campaign that will help us raise the money we need to complete the Pre-development building phase so that we can tap into the $1.2 million award provided by the City. As a member of the Groundbreakers Club, your name will appear on the Ground breakers> Plaque that will be posted on the Front Porch of the residence. If you want to participate in this effort to help us raise $100,000 by May 2019, please contact us at info@maryshousedc.org

Thank you Charlene Leach for putting together our "thank you" video to acknowledge our wonderful donors and sponsors and that highlighted the collaborations we are creating at Mary's House for Older Adults. Click on the YouTube link below and enjoy. 




Imani Woody, PhD

President and CEO
Mary's House for Older Adults, Inc.
drimani@maryshousedc.org
www.maryshousedc.org
PO Box 29561
Washington, DC 20017
202-607-7970

Principal, IWF Consulting, LLC
Standards for Excellence Licensed Consultant
Diversity & Inclusion and Older Adult Advocacy and Training