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November 16, 2021

D.A. Blodgett - St. John’s reaches $10M fundraising goal for new building

Nonprofit aims to improve outcomes by creating a more efficient and effective environment for children and families.


Launched in August of 2018, the Together for Kids campaign reached its $10M goal with the help of nearly 500 community donors, local businesses, and area foundations.

 

The campaign was boosted by the late David Samrick and his wife Susan, honorary campaign chairs, who generously donated a $1M lead gift. The Samrick family and their company, Mill Steel, have been long time DABSJ supporters. A health center within the building will be named the David & Susan Samrick Health & Family Center.

 

A second $1M gift made by Duane Elenbaas offered significant, early support to the campaign. Elenbaas has elected to recognize former St. John’s Home CEOs Dave VanRooy and Mark Thomson by naming the education wing of the new building in their honor.

 

The $10M will be used to build a multipurpose facility near the organization’s Knapp campus in Northeast Grand Rapids. Upon completion, the new building will serve as the campus cornerstone integrating all children and family services under one roof, an intentional move to improve outcomes for the 7,000 children and families DABSJ serves annually. Locating all services onto one campus will save the organization $2M over the next two decades.

 

The reconfigured campus will feature expanded programming areas, administrative offices, and educational and wellness space for the children and families supported by the organization. It will also provide critical operating space, a centralized medical clinic, classrooms, and will utilize upgraded utility systems making the agency more efficient and better positioned for the future. Additionally, consolidation of services will result in improved collaboration across the organization and a centralized location for families to access services, resulting in better outcomes for children.

 

“We are so incredibly grateful for our community’s support in helping us reach our $10M goal,” says president and CEO of D.A. Blodgett – St. John’s, Mary Muliett. “To have nearly 500 donors, supporters, and foundations come together to make this next chapter a reality seems almost surreal. We’ve reached our goal, our building planning is almost complete, ground has been broken, and we have so many people to thank for making this possible!”

 

The Together for Kids campaign is chaired by:

  • Consultants Jim and Barb Weaver
  • Senior vice president of Wells Fargo Bank Charles Lott and Natalie Lott
  • Community volunteers Beverly and George Grant