Mary's Center Hosts Make-Up Marathon!

More than 100 women turned out in Chevy Chase, Maryland, on Wednesday evening, May 27th for a social event to benefit Mary's Center. Supplying the make-up talent for the women attending was a very talented crew from Saks Fifth Avenue. The event, intended to raise awareness about Mary's Center's mission and need for resources, was by all accounts great fun and a big success. (Even Mary's Center's President and CEO Maria Gomez had her make-up done.)

Pictured here, from left to right, are the three chairs of the host committee: Margie Harlem, Marla Garchik, and Hanita Schrieber (who is also on Mary's Center's Board of Directors and the Chair of the Center's philanthropic board), then Mary's Center's President and CEO Maria Gomez, and the Chairperson of the Board, Mary MacPherson.

Stimulus legislation is helping Mary's Center!!

Mary's Center is already putting to work the federal government's stimulus money that is aimed at helping shore up cities across the nation.

Over the next two years, Mary's Center will receive $340,551 from the stimulus program. A total of $1.7 million has been allocated to health clinics in the District that serve the growing number of individuals who need health care but have no money or insurance to pay for it. Mary's Center is using the first of the monies to bring back into service its vitally-important mobile dental clinic, which had to be closed six months ago for lack of funds. Dental service is provided primarily to children and pregnant women. Maria Gomez, President and CEO of Mary's Center, said that pregnant women are at higher risk of giving birth prematurely. They can also suffer more serious complications, if oral infections are not detected and treated properly.

Called the Mama & Baby Bus, the mobile clinic is equipped with a dental chair and a new X-ray machine, making it easier for patients because they won’t need to travel to a hospital or a radiology center to get their films done.

At this point, the mobile bus is available in DC four days a week. The stimulus money is also helping to pay the salary of a new dentist, Dr. Oluwole Ajagbe, as well as his assistant and a dental hygienist.

Gomez noted that the stimulus grant became available on extremely short notice and that the grant-writing effort demanded a very quick turnaround (less than two months.) The process of applying for grants is normally much more drawn out. However, in these very tough economic times, Gomez said that Mary's Center could demonstrate a clear and urgent need for health services, as more and more people are losing jobs and their insurance.

Mary's Center plans to add three more dental chairs to its new health clinic being built in Ward 4.

MARY'S CENTER RECEIVES $100,000 FROM WORLD BANK!

Great news! Mary’s Center has just received a very generous grant of $100,000 from the World Bank Community Connections Fund. The grant money – which will be used to make much-needed improvements in Mary’s Center’s information technology infrastructure – will be matched by the DC Primary Care Association.

With this support, clinicians at Mary’s Center will have better access to electronic medical records, and administrative staff will be able to work more efficiently. The IT staff at Mary’s Center will spend less time troubleshooting problems with computer systems.

“This grant is such a blessing,” said Maria Gomez, President and CEO of Mary’s Center, “We are thrilled and so thankful. On behalf of the clients, staff, and Board of Directors at Mary’s Center, we extend our deepest gratitude to the World Bank and its employees. We are tremendously grateful for this support of Mary's Center.

The World Bank Community Connections Fund is a non-profit arm of the World Bank Group. According to Viki Betancourt, manager of outreach for fund, the $100,000 comes from undesignated employee contributions, as well as a 100% corporate match for these undesignated donations. (Viki Betancourt, a long-time Mary’s Center supporter, is pictured here on the left with her daughter, Christina Johnson, (right) and holding her granddaughter, baby Vivian. Maria Gomez is in the center.)

The gift comes at a critical time for Mary’s Center. With the U.S. economy in shambles, and unemployment rising, patients at Mary’s Center are struggling harder than ever to deal with the economic downturn.

“The need for our culturally-competent services is growing,” noted Ms. Gomez. “By building our administrative capacity, Mary’s Center will be well-equipped to meet the ever-increasing needs of the District’s most vulnerable residents.”

Thank you President and Mrs. Obama for Celebrating Cinco de Mayo!!

Dear President and Mrs. Obama, I would like to thank you both for inviting me and so many other members of the Latino community to the White House this week, to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in a very special way. What a delightful and meaningful event this was, not only for those of Mexican descent, but for all of us Latinos present. We were just thrilled to have this opportunity to spend this intimate time with you both, as well as with Vice President Biden and other officials.

Your warmth and sincerity and your relaxed, informal manner made me feel so welcome, and so comfortable. As a Latina woman, who is both a mother and health professional, I have great hopes for this nation, my second home country. I know that we can do great things, and that you, President Obama, stand ready to lead us toward them.



Indeed, you have already begun. The passage of SCHIP – expanding health care to children, was an important first step. Mrs. Obama, your visits to the DC neighborhoods, and your establishment of the White House community garden, have made the White House feel like our house. As we say in Spanish: mi casa es tu casa. Truly, we all feel so welcome and so inspired and invigorated to work with and for you both. We especially look forward to supporting your efforts to pass a major health care reform bill, and to working with Health Care for America Now, a group that includes many of us from so many regions of the U.S. Our priority, like yours, is to ensure that all Americans are insured, and afforded quality health care.


In your 100 first days, Mr. President, you have accomplished more than others have done in their entire terms. Who would have thought that health care reform, the war, the economy and immigration reform would compete with new crises like the flu, a measles outbreak, and even, pirates attacking American ships? But your determination and your genuine concern for our welfare assures us that we as Americans can and will overcome all the obstacles that confront us. We are there not only to “Kumbaya” with you. We are there by your side, and at your back, determined to support your hardworking and committed staff to do whatever it takes to bring about the changes we need in this nation.



On behalf of the entire Latino community, I say, “Muchas gracias!” Thanks for being the inspirational President that you are, and the force of power that unites the multicultural quilt that inhabits our Washington metropolitan area. With great respect and gratitude,

Maria Gomez
President and CEO Mary’s Center for Maternal & Child Care

Here Comes Mary's Center New Building!

If you live in Ward 4 in Washington, D.C., there is exciting news in store! Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care has announced plans to launch construction of a new building in Ward 4 to meet the needs of medically-underserved residents in that District. The new building, which is expected to be complete by the Fall of 2010, will replace the existing structure at 3910 Georgia Avenue, NW.

Early in May, DC Mayor Adrian Fenty attended the demolition of the old structure on Georgia Avenue. The Mayor praised Mary’s Center for its work and said the new building will help the health center expand its vitally-important mission providing neighborhood health care. “I am pleased to announce that Mary’s Center will have a new home in this neighborhood to continue doing their fantastic work in meeting critical needs such as HIV testing, teen pregnancy issues and health care needs,” said Mayor Fenty.

The 28,000 square-foot site will be part of an affordable housing project that includes 130 apartments for low-income families. A total of 130,000 square feet is planned. Mary’s Center will occupy the first floor of the new building. “We are very excited about this new building,” said Maria Gomez, President and CEO of Mary’s Center. “It will give us more efficient space in order to serve patients and it will enable us to expand our dental care services and to increase our primary health care capacity to this medically-underserved area.”

A $7.5 million grant from DCPCA will provide Mary’s Center with the initial funding to start construction. The total cost of the project is estimated at between $15 and $16 million. The project developer is Jair Lynch & Associates. (Note: Pictured in the photo above are Sharon Baskerville, DC Primary Care Association Executive Director; Mary's Center President and CEO Maria Gomez; Council Women for DC Ward 4, Muriel Bowser; DC Mayor Adrian Fenty and Jair Lynch, President and CEO of Jair Lynch Development Partners.)