Yesterday, First Lady Michelle Obama visited Mary’s Center to learn about the work done by our organization for families and children in the nation’s capital.
Her first official visit to a D.C.-based nonprofit was a great honor for all of us who have been involved in Mary’s Center. She recognized our accomplishments over the last 20 years, providing a safety net and improving the health and well being of thousands of families in our community.
During her time with us, I talked with Mrs. Obama about the multiple needs of our clients and the uniqueness of the Mary’s Center model of comprehensive services. She was deeply touched by the powerful personal accounts of several of our participants, who spoke about the impact that Mary’s Center has had on their lives and how we have helped to strengthen their communities in countless positive ways.
The First Lady read Brown Bear Brown Bear to a group of toddlers from our Family Literacy Program and inspired our Teen Program participants with her words of hope.
We at Mary’s Center are on the front lines of the most critical issues facing our country today. Every day, through our work, we are proving that transformational change is possible.
I hope that through this visit, Mrs. Obama deepened her understanding of the issues affecting our nation’s most vulnerable families and children. I also hope that she views our comprehensive social change model as a solution that could be replicated throughout the country to improve the health and well being of our underserved citizens.
As all of you know, the stimulus package before Congress includes aspects of many health services provided by organizations like Mary’s Center. Moving forward, we look forward to advising Mrs. Obama’s staff on how to implement the policies that will result from the package, particularly those that directly affect women and children.
As we cherish the opportunity of being the first community organization officially visited by the First Lady, we also look forward to the Obama Administration’s initiatives to improve health access through a comprehensive health reform that will benefit the communities we serve.
For photos and more information about the First Lady’s visit to Mary’s Center:
DCist coverage
Washington Grantmakers coverage
Mary’s Center Web site
Maria S. Gomez, RN, MPH, is president and CEO of Mary’s Center, a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation.
