Development Community Commits $300,000 In-Kind Support to Help Build Calvary Women’s Services New Home for Homeless Women

Calvary Women’s Services, which provides homeless women with both immediate shelter and longer-term services to empower independent living, has received $300,000 in in-kind services from major businesses in the Washington D.C. development community for its new home on Good Hope Road.

The services from these leading businesses are in support of Calvary Women’s Services development of their new facility in Southeast DC and a major expansion of the critical services they offer homeless women. The beginning of construction on Calvary’s new home on Good Hope Road was announced earlier this month.

Earlier this week, Calvary announced receiving an award for $175,000 from The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. Calvary also launched a $750,000 fundraising effort to support their new home on Good Hope Road.

The Washington, D.C. area businesses that have committed in-kind support to the construction and development of the new facility include:

• Mark G. Anderson Consultants
• OTJ Architects
• Clark Construction Group
• Shapiro & Duncan
• CS Consulting Engineers Inc.
• Walter L. Phillips Inc.
• Goulston & Storrs

In addition, United Bank provided $1 million in financing for the purchase of what was a vacant building on Good Hope Road in Anacostia.

“MGAC supports Calvary Women’s Services for the vital work it does for the city,” said Mark G. Anderson, President of Mark G. Anderson Consulting. “Why Calvary? Frankly the quality and longevity of its very devoted professional staff, the use of paid mental health counseling on a low counselor to resident ratio, Calvary’s track record of success returning women to productive, independent living, and the knowledge that every dollar we use to support Calvary provides vital benefit.  There is no fat on this organization.  Dollar for dollar, supporting Calvary is pure muscle.”

“The members of the Board of Directors at Calvary and these key members of the Washington area business community have shown tremendous support for this important project,” said Ann M. Hilpert, Calvary Board President.

“The efforts of our private sector development team have been critically important to providing hope and a new home to homeless women in the District,” according to Kris Thompson, Calvary’s executive director.

Calvary’s new 14,000 sq. ft. project will transform an abandoned building in Anacostia into a new home that will serve 50 women a night and provide 100 meals a day, all while providing critical one-on-one attention by keeping case manager to client ratio the lowest in the city.

“At Calvary, we offer women a safe, caring place for tonight and support, hope and change for tomorrow.” said Thompson. “Combining support services and a secure place to live is the key to returning women to independent living.”  

Calvary’s approach of providing for the immediate need for shelter and meals as well as addressing the underlying causes of homelessness works: every 5 days Calvary’s programs will help a woman move into her own home.

For more information about Calvary Women’s Services’ new home on Good Hope Road, including ways to support the project’s development, visit www.calvaryservices.org/media.