Chapman Partnership Celebrates Yesterday, Today and a New Decade to Come
In a glittering evening befitting the theme “Stars,” philanthropists, business leaders and friends joined Chapman Partnership at the JW Marriott Marquis, on October 17, to kick off the organization’s 2015 social season and to celebrate two decades of achievement and community service. The special 20th Anniversary Gala raised $1,790,000 to benefit programs for Miami-Dade’s homeless men, women and children.
Chapman Partnership’s Chairman of the Board, Carlos Fernandez-Guzman, summed up the celebratory tone of the evening with plans of what lies ahead. “It is an exciting future for Chapman,” he said. “Sometimes when you build a sound foundation like ours, where we have experienced so much success for so many years, there is a tendency to become comfortable, but we never have. Instead, we have continued to evolve. I cannot think of a better or more appropriate time to take Chapman Partnership to the next level.”
Reflecting on Chapman Partnership’s rich history, H. Daniel Vincent, President/CEO said, “When we first opened our doors in 1995, we initially thought we would be serving primarily men. We soon realized that forty-four percent of those coming to our centers were families with children, so we began adding services. Today, we offer thirty services, significantly up from the five available when we first started.”
As a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering the homeless, Chapman Partnership operates two Homeless Assistance Centers with 800 beds located in Miami and Homestead. To date the organization has provided services for more than 100,000 individuals, including 20,000 children, achieving a success rate of 64% for transitioning people from homelessness to self-sufficiency.
Trish Bell, Chairman Emeritus, as well as a co-chair for the gala, shared her experiences with the comprehensive support services developed by Chapman Partnership; services that provide the homeless with the tools they need to reestablish independent lives. “I learned that there are a lot of people who have skills, but have lost their jobs, and just need some help to get back on track,” she said.
A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the annual Alvah H. Chapman, Jr. Humanitarian Award to Mrs. Betty Chapman, widow of the organization’s founder. In accepting the honor, Mrs. Chapman, a dedicated humanitarian and civic leader, remarked, “I feel in my heart that Alvah would want me to do it this year, it’s a very special award because it is named for him.”
With thousands of success stories to tell, Chapman Partnership had much to celebrate from its 20 years of past success, while committing to higher levels of accomplishment in the decade ahead. A total of 750 guests turned out to share this important milestone for Chapman, including gala attendees and those attending the after party hosted by Nextgen, the Chapman support group for young professionals and ambassadors between the ages of 25 to 40.
Gala guests enjoyed an elegant dinner, live entertainment and dancing, all perfectly orchestrated by the event chairs Nancy and Jon Batchelor and Trish and Dan Bell.
News anchor Laurie Jennings served as virtual Master of Ceremonies for the gala, capturing some of the highlights of the past 20 years, and for the 20th Anniversary celebration: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. For more information, visit www.chapmanpartnership.org.
