Living In The City – Celebrating THC's 20th Anniversary Presenting The Community Leadership Award To Freddie Mac Foundation
Ralph F. Boyd, Jr.
President and CEO, Freddie Mac Foundation
The Washington Club, Dupont Circle
As Prepared
May 27, 2010
Thank you. It’s a privilege to receive this award on behalf of the Freddie Mac Foundation. We are fortunate to be able to contribute to the well-being of children and families — through the invaluable work of organizations like the Transitional Housing Corporation and its partners.
Both the Foundation and THC focus on sustaining families in stable housing. We began investing in THC a decade ago to provide critical services to residents in their transitional housing.
It’s been wonderful to see THC grow from a small but determined group of volunteers to what it is today: a partner all of us in the community rely on to improve the lives of vulnerable children and families….. A partner that continues to build on its success to provide not only transitional housing, but also permanent supportive housing, as well as affordable housing, with resident services.
A stable home is one of the most basic needs a family has. For a child, it’s especially critical. Housing stability coupled with comprehensive services is key to strengthening families and communities. A stable home allows parents to focus on building better lives, better futures, for themselves and their children.
And that’s why the work of TCH is so vital to the D.C. community. THC has grown from serving 14 homeless families in the early 90s, to providing stable housing with services to nearly 200 families. With the opening of new affordable housing projects later this year (Fort View and Webster Garden), that number will grow to more than 300 families.
We’re proud that our investments have helped THC build their capacity to serve more vulnerable families in our community.
The success of THC is a testament to the strength of its people: Executive Director Polly Donaldson, who has been there since the beginning; her staff; the Board of Directors, led by Lawrence Thrower; and THC’s community partners, many of whom are here tonight.
I’d like to especially recognize HUD, Secretary Donovan and Fred Karnas [Senior Advisor to Secretary Donovan] for your critical leadership in the housing arena.
And, as always, it’s a pleasure to join another of our partners, Barbara Harrison, who is instrumental in our Wednesday’s Child adoption program on NBC4, helping to find homes for children in foster care.
I know our award tonight is followed by the resident achievement awards. The success of these families — the lives they are building for themselves and their children — this is what our investment and our partnership is all about.
On behalf of the Freddie Mac Foundation, it’s a privilege to join THC and all of you this evening. We look forward to continuing our work together so that more of our region’s children and families have a stable place to call home. Thank you.