Damien Center launches capital campaign for new HQ
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(rendering courtesy of the Damien Center)
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(rendering courtesy of the Damien Center)
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(rendering courtesy of the Damien Center)
Indianapolis-based nonprofit The Damien Center on Monday announced a $4 million capital campaign to support the construction of a new headquarters on the city’s near east side. The organization, which provides resources and services for people affected by HIV/AIDS, says the 56,000-square-foot facility will allow it to expand and enhance the care it provides.
The Damien Center says it has grown from 40 employees in 2018 to more than 150 and has outgrown its current, 15,000-square-foot space. The organization fueled growth after Marion County was targeted as an HIV hotspot by the Department of Health and Human Services.
The new headquarters would be built at the corner of East Washington St. and Oriental Ave., adjacent to its current facility, which the organization says would be part of a new, multi-building campus.
The new facility is set to feature a larger Damien Cares clinic with multiple exam rooms, a new dental and vision services, a lab, and an expanded food pantry and pharmacy.
“A larger facility within the geographic epicenter of the HIV epidemic will enable us to engage 2,000 new clients in the first year of occupancy, serve 300 new families each month through expanded food and nutrition programs, bring 1,000 HIV+ individuals who are not currently receiving care into medical treatment within three years, and help 1,200 individuals living with HIV reach viral suppression,” CEO Alan Witchey said in written remarks.
Damien Center has already raised $3.2 million toward its $4 million fundraising goal through a quiet phase of the campaign that it began in 2021, Witchey told our partners at the IBJ.
The organization says it will also be able to expand its youth programming, housing, prevention, and harm reduction programs.
Construction on the new facility is expected to begin by Spring 2023 and be complete by the end of 2024. Axis Architecture is leading the design for the project, while The Skillman Corp. is heading up construction.
The Damien Center plans to continue utilizing its current space at 26 N. Arsenal Ave. and has also purchased a nearby building at 1446 E. Washington St., which was previously operated by Zonie’s Closet.