Allen Griffith in the medical exam room. Photo by Bonnie Hobbs.
After the official ribbon-cutting for the Lamb Center’s new building, attendees socialized at a reception and took tours. Many also reflected on what the day meant to them.
“I have a sense of thanksgiving for the people, guests, staff and volunteers here,” said former Lamb Center Board of Directors Chairman Mary Petersen. “It’s a real community.”
She’s been involved in the Lamb Center since it opened in 1992 and on its Building Committee for eight years. The organization has a ministry of 75 churches supporting it, and Petersen helped spearhead the fundraising for the new facility.
“It was a team effort, but unconventional,” she said. “We didn’t have consultants; we just kept working and the Lord provided. The county gave us a $500,000 grant, early in the process, and that was so encouraging. And we had many anonymous, large contributions. People came to the Lamb Center, saw what a wonderful ministry it was and wanted to be involved.”
Petersen also praised the City of Fairfax for making the center’s move to a new site possible. Many years ago, City officials weren’t so welcoming. But, she said, “The City’s attitude changed with the election of the new mayor, Scott Silverthorne, and City Council in 2012. They were much more supportive of our ministry; and in November 2014, they approved our special-use permit to open here.”
She said the volunteers love the spacious, new building and Sunday’s grand opening was the culmination of something they’d all worked on for so long. “And it finally came together,” said Petersen. “This was a day of joy.” As for helping the Lamb Center, she explained, “We feel like we’re called to do this – and it’s a great privilege.”
GIVING TOURS of the new, two-story facility, Lamb Center Building Committee member Allen Griffith said the old building was 3,200 square foot and this one is 9,500. The second floor contains offices for counselors, the county nurse and various meetings. There are classrooms – plus room for another, a medical exam room, a clothes closet and sewing machine for alterations, as well as space for a future dental office.
“We didn’t have a clothes closet in the old place,” said Griffith. “And there’s a tremendous upgrade in communications. We used to have to yell to each other, but now we can phone between the two floors.”
There’s an office for the center’s executive director, John MacPherson, plus a classroom for job training, AA meetings, skills and budgeting classes, Veterans Administration meetings, etc. “So one of this place’s enormous advantages is privacy for the guests for their meetings,” said Griffith. “We didn’t have that before.”
The building also contains a food pantry with storage space for paper products, toiletries, eyeglasses, food, a refrigerator and freezer. And there are more offices, a chapel, laundry and kitchen on the first floor.
One of the guests, German Andino, has gone to the Lamb Center for several years. During Sunday’s grand opening, he said, “It’s a nice place. I help in the kitchen and with cleaning and also get services here. And my wife and I take people to and from their medical appointments.”
“This place has its own parking,” he continued. “And with the offices for the nurse and social worker, it’s more private for meetings, so it’s better. It feels like home, sweet home.”
Lamb Center Treasurer Caroline Walsh called the new place “a dream come true – truly a miracle. At this time, a year ago, we didn’t know where we’d be financially. But thanks to the generous donations from so many people, our mortgage payment here is much less than the rent we were paying for a space one-third the size.”
THE BUILDING cost $4.5 million and, by Sunday’s ceremony, the Lamb Center had already raised $4 million. So, said Walsh, “We’re praying for another miracle that we can raise another $500,000 so we can pay off the mortgage and pour all our donations into programs and support for our guests.”
Little did she know that, by the end of the day, their prayers would be answered. “It has been an amazing journey,” said Petersen, later that evening. “An anonymous couple came at the end of the event and pledged the remaining $500,000 to pay for the building. We give thanks for one more miracle.”