Capital Campaign a Success

The Inter-Faith Council for Social Service (IFC) announced that the agency successfully concluded the $5.76 million capital campaign it launched in December 2012.  The money raised enables IFC to build a new men's transitional housing facility—which will offer programs and supportive services to empower its 52 homeless male residents to transform their lives—at 1315 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard in Chapel Hill.  The IFC broke ground on May 5, 2014, hopes to begin construction in September 2014, and plans to move into the new home in August 2015.

"The Inter-Faith Council is neighbors helping neighbors and this successful campaign shows how powerful that can be," said John Dorward, IFC Executive Director.  "We received support from 28 different congregations/faith based organizations and many, many individual donors and businesses.   The State Employees Credit Union's gift of $1,000,000 was incredibly generous.  We were pleased to win a $500,000 competitive grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, which was the gift that put us over our goal."

Dorward also thanked the campaign leadership team, including co-chairs Gordon Merklein and Kevin Foy, as well as the IFC board of directors.  "This amazing facility is being built by the people of Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Orange County," said IFC board chair Rebecca McCulloh.  "Community House was literally willed into being through the hard work and cooperation of individuals, congregations, foundations, government entities, and UNC.  It is a facility for all of the men of Orange County from all of the people in Orange County."

“The success of the Community House Capital Campaign is a testament to the importance of the IFC in our community," said Gordon Merklein, co-chair of the Campaign for the new Community House and Executive Director, Real Estate Development, for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  "The depth and breadth of the donors shows that our community is committed to helping those served by the IFC."

"Community House has always meant a shared commitment to help," said Kevin Foy, co-chair of the Campaign for the new Community House and former mayor of Chapel Hill. "The successful capital campaign shows how deep that commitment is in this community, and how generous people are in the effort. IFC has demonstrated again how important and valuable its services are, and how much we all value IFC."

Dorward credits the University of North Carolina’s gift of 1.66 acres at 1315 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. and the support of the Town of Chapel Hill as being instrumental in the creation of this permanent home for a new Community House.  "I want to thank everyone who helped with this campaign," said Dorward.  "It was truly a community-wide effort.  I am grateful and honored to head an agency like the Inter-Faith Council where the war on poverty isn't a catch phrase, but rather what we do each and every day."