Share Fromhold Service Center
Thank you to the 200+ people who came out to help celebrate the official opening of the Share Fromhold Service Center. Guest speakers – Share Board President Peter Fels, Mayor Tim Leavitt, Clark County Commissioner Steve Stuart, Marty Rifkin of KMR Foundation and Ron Frederikson of RSV Building Solutions – reflected in the journey that has brought us to this opening.
Marcia Fromhold, wife of the late Bill Fromhold (pictured at left with daughters Kelli & Kristie) also spoke, and shared this:
“As you may remember, Bill was a positive, energetic person. He was an optimist from the depths of his soul. He would leap out of bed, turn on the coffee, get on the treadmill, read the paper and literally whistle his way through his morning routine. He brought energy, joy and anticipation of good outcomes to everything he did and the people around him. He often said to me: “I know that today will be better than yesterday – and tomorrow will be even better.
“So how does that relate to today? Share brings to each person it serves the very same sense of optimism – whether it’s a hot meal, housing or a backpack full of food. Share makes sure that for each person today is a better day than yesterday and gives them hope for an event better tomorrow.
“The honor you have given Bill by naming this Center after him would leave him humbled. Kelli, Kristie and I are so thank for this – and the generosity of all of you and others who committed their time, energy and money to make this happen for the community.
“Bill loved a good party and would appreciate this celebration today. It’s a great day and tomorrow will be even better for all of you and those Share serves. Thank you.”
And John McDonagh (pictured above) was recognized by the staff and board of Share by naming the Share Volunteer Center in his name. An anonymous donor generously donated the funds for the adoption of the room.
John served on Share’s board for 9 years, with 8 years as Board President. (Add some text here about John’s impact on the capital campaign). He also served on the Capital Campaign Committee, helping to bring this building to our opening, and has volunteered in numerous ways for Share since he left the board in December 2006.
This is what John shared about this recognition:
“I am honored to have this room named after me. While this room is important and it is part of an important building, this campaign has never been about a building. Rather, as beautiful as the new Fromhold Center is, it is what will be happening throughout our community because of this building that brings all of us here today.
“Share’s vision is for a community without hunger where all people have safe and adequate housing and the skills to enhance their quality of life. Accomplishing this vision requires an innovative and fresh approach with a focus and strategy to address keeping people from homelessness. This fresh approach must include an improved access and delivery model with comprehensive services for families at all stages of economic need.
“This campaign is literally a platform for achieving our organizational vision. Our new approach utilizes a structure and service delivery system reliant on comprehensive and communicative program components within the framework of a family service center.
“Again, this campaign is not about a facility. It is about what the facility means to the community as a tool to end homelessness by empowering us to attack this societal problem with a preventative focus and offer effective assistant for our clients so they are able to rejoin the community and the workforce as quickly as possible.
“If this building is the path to our vision, then our strategy is the utilization of this new facility in building a synergistic model leveraging staff with volunteerism and strategic partnerships. Thank you for this honor – I am proud to have my name on it.”
Naming Opportunities at Share Fromhold Service Center
Several room naming opportunities at the Center are still available. Click on the link below to view those opportunities. For more information, contact Sue Warren at (360) 952-8227 or devdir@sharevancouver.org.
Naming Opportunities at the Share Fromhold Service Center
The Share Campaign. Below is a recap of events held over the past several years which helped raise funds for the Share Fromhold Service Center:
• Share to Move Forward with Final Phase of Construction on Share Fromhold Service Center (Aug. 2012)
• Capital Campaign Celebration on June 18, 2012
• Open House at Share Fromhold Service Center on Nov. 16, 2011
• Groundbreaking Ceremony on Aug. 3, 2011
• Share Fromhold Service Center: Honoring Bill Fromhold
• Building a Vision: The Share Campaign
Share to Move Forward with Final Phase of Construction on Share Fromhold Service Center
Share’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to move forward with the third and final phase of construction on the Share Fromhold Service Center, located at 2306 NE Andresen Road. Construction will begin in August.
“With $5.25 million raised so far toward a goal of $5.4 million, and following the announcement of the public phase of Share’s capital campaign, we are in a position to move ahead and leverage the remaining $150,000,” shared Executive Director Diane McWithey.
“We were delighted by the generosity of our community and the board has decided to proceed with construction to ensure the facility is serving clients during the cold winter months. We are doing so with the trust and faith in our community that the remaining $250,000 will be raised,” McWithey added. “Through its infancy in 1979 up until this day, Share has been a community project, supported and advanced by the generosity of all sort of individuals – from business leaders who set up challenge gifts to individual supporters who donated $10 each month. And to all who have supported our mission to serve the hungry and the homeless, we say ‘thank you’.”
Full News Release: Share to Move Forward with Final Phase of Construction on Share Fromhold Service Center
Local Share Supporters Raise $55,107 for Final Phase of Capital Campaign
More than 50 supporters raised $55,107 on Monday, June 18, toward the final phase of Share’s capital campaign to complete renovations on the Share Fromhold Service Center. The funds raised included a 1:1 match challenge in the amount of $100,000 donated by Paul and Deborah Speer. Share still needs to raise the remaining $44,893 to match the Speer challenge.
“We know that organizations like Share depend on the commitment of like-minded people – executive directors such as Diane, staff, board members, volunteers and donors – coming together to serve individuals and families working to gain a solid footing in the community,” shared Paul and Deborah Speer. “We appreciate the high-impact work that Share does and are pleased to directly support Share’s mission and hope the match challenge can assist as a catalyst for the completion of the project.”
Kristen Turek, Donor and Nonprofit Services Officer at Community Foundation of Southwest Washington, played an instrumental role in the match challenge, by introducing The Speers to Diane McWithey, Executive Director of Share. “The Speers have been residents of Vancouver for 30 years and strongly believe in efforts
addressing issues of equity and social justice,” said Turek.
Supporters included individuals, local business owners, representatives from private foundations, as well as Share board directors and staff. The event was held at the home of Ed Lynch, long-time supporter of Share.
Share is $202,000 closer to completing its capital campaign, thanks to a $100,000 challenge gift by Steve and JoMarie Hansen at Share’s Nov. 16 open house.
Steve Hansen announced the challenge to the crowd of 75+ and the funds were quickly matched with $102,000 in pledges made by individuals and local business owners. The pledges included a $50,000 special announcement gift by Marc Grignon on behalf of The Firstenburg Foundation, as well as $25,000 pledged by Terry Murphy and Ron Frederiksen. $1,000,000 remains to be raised, which will complete the renovation of the service center, which is named in honor of the late Bill Fromhold.
“At the event, Marcia Fromhold shared that ‘a community is measured by how it treats the neediest among them,’ “said Diane McWithey, Executive Director of Share. “And the Vancouver community has shown, once again, that they value every man, woman and child, no matter their life’s circumstance. Thank you to everyone who has donated thus far to our campaign and to m) aking the Share Fromhold Service Center a reality for our clients.”
The open house marked Phase Two of the capital campaign process, with a portion of the Share Fromhold Service Center’s renovations completed, including the Northwest Natural Products/Gummy Vites Backpack Building Area. The event also kicked-off Share’s third and final phase of the capital campaign to complete the building’s remodel, with $4.4 million raised toward a goal of $5.4 million. The final step will allow Share to:
(1) Combine operations under one roof to: reduce overhead; house, feed and assist more people; provide critical space for education to help end the cycle of homelessness; and deliver better efficiency and effectiveness with a larger community impact; and
(2) Move offices from their current location at Share House to free up critical shelter space downtown where it is urgently needed, while moving operations to central
Vancouver, where they are visible and accessible.
Community Donors & Supporters ‘Take a Swing Against Homelessness
On Aug. 3, Share, along with dozens of local business leaders and community supporters, officially broke ground on the remodel of the future Share Fromhold Service Center. Attendees literally took ‘a swing against homelessness’ with a golden sledgehammer.
The groundbreaking celebrated the $1,000,000 donated to Share providing the necessary funds to begin renovations. Local philanthropists included JoMarie and Steve Hansen, Marty Rifkin and Kate Jones, Ed Lynch, Sandee and Al Kirkwood, Joe Pauletto, Dr. and Mrs. Carter as well as an anonymous donor. Also making the renovations possible is Meyer Memorial Trust and the State of Washington through the Building Community Funds.
Capital Campaign Pledges, Donations & Naming Opportunities:
If you would like to have a naming opportunity in the new facility, please call Sue Warren, Development Director, (360) 750-4436 ext. 304.
To donate to Share’s Capital Campaign, please call Diane McWithey at (360) 695-7658 ext. 3311.
Share Fromhold Service Center: Honoring Bill Fromhold
The Share Fromhold Service Center honors former State Rep. Bill Fromhold, who passed away in Sept. 2011. Bill and his wife, Marcia, were long-time supporters of Share. As chair of the House Capital Budget Committee, Bill was instrumental in encouraging committee members to support inclusion of Share and similar organizations, such as food banks, shelters, etc., in the statewide capital budget proposal. This resulted in a $1.4 million allocation to Share, which was used in the purchase of the Timber Lanes building.
Building a Vision: The Share Campaign
Food and shelter. When you think of it, our core needs cannot be more basic. Yet, most of us take these necessities for granted. The recent downturn in the economy has turned these necessities into luxuries than many can no longer afford.
Imagine for a moment, if you were one of them.
The fact is that more people are homeless and hungry in our community than at any time in our modern society, forced into a hand-to-mouth survival existence for which they were and are unprepared. They join a growing segment of our society that has led to the expansion of Share over 30 years, from an annual budget of $36,000 to its current $3.8 million; from serving 28 people a day to 10,000 people a year. The growth has been measured and in response to community need. The need has never been greater and continues to grow.
Action is required.
In Oct. 2008, Share took the first step in it’s capital campaign with the purchase of the former Timber Lanes bowling alley for $2.09 million. Today, Share is 3/4 of the way towards its campaign goal, with $4.4 million raised from public and private sources. A new program facility will allow us:
• to reduce overhead by combining services under one roof for better efficiency and effectiveness
• deliver more services and programs, specifically, added shelter space downtown where it is needed
• shelter, feed and assist more people
• move operations to the heart of Vancouver, where they are accessible and visible
It is all part of a vision for the future: a future where people are both protected from and assisted through homelessness.
Community support of this campaign will make a lasting impact for decades to come —an investment in an organization that has operated effectively and efficiently for 30 years to address the issues of hunger and homelessness.
These neighbors of ours don’t need a hand out, they need a hand up. With your help we can offer that hand up. On behalf of the thousands who will benefit, including the generations to come, Share thanks you.
Learn about simple ways you can help make a real difference in people’s lives.
