Community West Foundation Annual Meeting Celebrates Year of Success

David T. Dombrowiak, Community West Foundation President and CEO, Mary Sue Tanis, Di-rector of Planned Giving, Youth Challenge and William Oatey, Chair of the Board, Community West Foundation.

The impact of our work at Community West Foundation was a highlight at our annual Corporation meeting held on September 11 at Bay Presbyterian Church. Over two hundred people attended the event.

William Oatey, Chair of the Board, spoke about the organization’s accomplishments over the past year, and said the Foundation shared $6,079,000 in grant funding with worthy organizations; $3,351,000 of those funds were used to support local nonprofits; and $1,450,000 was directed to Fairview and Lutheran Hospital for the health and well being of our community.

One of the highlights of the meeting was the presentation of the David and Martha Hessler Illuminating Hope Award. The award is named in honor of David and Martha Hessler who have blessed our community and foundation with faith, hope and love beyond compare. The award was created to recognize a local nonprofit with a deep history and commitment to our communities that is Illuminating Hope.

Mr. Oatey said, “we know that the work of nonprofits takes courage – it takes compassion – and it takes love. And, you can’t help but fall in love with the work of our Illuminating Hope award recipient, Youth Challenge. Youth Challenge was started in 1976 by Mary Sue Tanis, a visionary, collaborator, and champion for children with disabilities. She was inspired to dedicate her life to helping people with disabilities find ways to participate in sports. What she created is a program that is legendary!

We celebrate the work of Youth Challenge that has facilitated inclusion, accessibility and encouragement to individuals with disabilities. That is “Illuminating Hope.” The award presented is the small replica of the sculpture of Homeless Jesus, reminding us all that we see the light of Christ radiantly shining through the work of this wonderful agency. In addition to the award, Youth Challenge also received a $10,000 gift.

Martin Uhle, Community West Foundation Board Member and his wife Laura, Janus Small, President, Janus Small Associates and Rhonda Jones, MNO-CWRU, Student Experience Coor-dinator, Case Western eserve University School of Law.

David T. Dombrowiak, President and CEO, Community West Foundation, spoke about the work at Community West Foundation and that, “we focus our efforts on the least of our brothers and sisters, those people considered the most deserving of our support. The very core – the soul of our work – is to support the most essential of human needs. And, an important human need is WATER. Clean water – here in our cities, nation, and for those an ocean’s distance away.”

He introduced two guest speakers, Steve Young, Executive Director of Living Waters for the World, and Erin Huber Rosen, Executive Director and Founder of Drink Local. Drink Tap. Steve Young and Erin Huber Rosen are making God’s love visible to others by reaching out into the forgotten corners of the world to make clean water available for those who do not have access.

David Dombrowiak surprised many in the audience by announcing his retirement at the end of the year and he received a heartfelt standing ovation for all that he has done for the organization for over twenty years. David was pleased to announce that Martin J. Uhle will be the Community West Foundation’s next President and CEO. Marty spoke briefly about his excitement and commitment to continue the important work of the Foundation.

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