STATE COLLEGE — Centre Volunteers in Medicine (CVIM) recently announced the launching of “Building for a Healthier Future,” its capital campaign to raise $10 million for its new facility.
The new building at 2026 Sandy Drive in State College will provide more space to meet the needs of Centre County’s uninsured population. Completion is planned for Sept. 30, and $6,081,000 has been raised already.
CVIM held the Jan. 27 press and community event at the new location on Sandy Drive.
Cheryl White, executive director, said, “The new facility provides us an expanded space, so we can increase our volunteer engagement efforts and develop and expand health care support that includes wellness programming, health and dental care. Our work also helps relieve stress on our community partners, Mount Nittany Health, Geisinger and Penn State Health.”
Once renovated, the new facility will offer more than 11,000 square feet of exam and office space in an energy-efficient and technologically up-to-date building, compared to the 6,700 square feet in the present rented building.
According to White, approximately $6 million of the campaign goal will enable CVIM to buy, renovate and equip the building. The remainder will provide an endowment to operate the facility and enhance services. CVIM hopes to move into the new building in the fall of 2022, debt-free.
At the press conference, White thanked Sen. Jake Corman and Rep. Kerry Benninghoff for their leadership in recognizing the vital role that CVIM plays in addressing the health care needs of uninsured individuals in Centre County.
“They (Corman and Benninghoff) played critical roles in helping to secure $2.5 million for the project through the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, an amount which has enabled CVIM to launch the effort and is included in the total raised to date,” said White.
Benninghoff said, “The team at Centre Volunteers in Medicine serves our community selflessly, recognizing the dignity of every person and taking action to provide compassionate care to those in need. Centre Volunteers in Medicine is a shining jewel of our region and a testament to what people can do for the greater good when they pull together their passions, talents and resources.”
“CVIM has played a critical role in meeting the health care needs of our community for more than two decades, including helping thousands of our friends and neighbors get vaccinated against COVID-19 over the past year,” Corman said. “I am thankful this grant will allow them to expand their operations to serve even more local families.”
CVIM is the only free clinic in Centre County providing medical, dental, behavioral health, case management and prescription services to low-income and uninsured community members. Since its beginning in 2003, the demand has only grown each year for CVIM’s services. More than 11,000 county residents have no medical insurance, and 30,000 have no dental insurance.
CVIM cares for 750 to 1,000 patients each year by providing more than 4,000 visits. In addition, CVIM has vaccinated more than 42,000 members of the community with the COVID-19 vaccine.
Ask any one of the many volunteers at CVIM, and they will tell you stories of the people the clinic has helped. Many clients are working people — some with two jobs but no benefits. Others have lost their jobs and their insurance at the same time. Some have not had their medications in months because they can’t afford them. CVIM frequently receives letters of thanks from former patients who have gotten insurance and moved on but haven’t forgotten what CVIM did for them.
For more information, contact White at (814) 231-4043 or cwhite@cvim.net
