Hope Clinic announces $5.5 million expansion campaign to meet growing needs of Washtenaw County uninsured

YPSILANTI, Mich. – Ypsilanti not-for-profit organization Hope Clinic announced the public launch of its $5.5 million Hope For Tomorrow fundraising campaign to expand access to its health services.

The organization provides no-cost medical, dental and mental health care services, food distribution and hot meals to uninsured and underserved community members in Washtenaw and Western Wayne counties.

“Every day more and more people are hurting and falling through the cracks,” said Doug Campbell, Executive Director at Hope Clinic, in a release. “People in need lack access to medical and dental care, families do not know where their next meal is coming from, and individuals suffering from a mental health crisis do not know where to turn.”

“Many have begun to ask us, ‘Can our community do what it takes to ensure no-one is forgotten?’”

Hope for Tomorrow will help the organization to more than double the number of people it serves by expanding access to its health services from 11,000 community members annually to 25,000 by 2025.

The fund will double the capacity of Hope Dental Clinic, the only free dental clinic in Washtenaw County, Hope Clinic said. The goal is to eliminate waitlists for services for its clients, all of whom do not have dental insurance.

Offering additional resources for mental and behavioral health services are another goal of the fundraising campaign. If successful, the organization will be able to serve up to 2,000 clients, doubling the number of patients receiving behavioral and mental health services, it said.

The not-for-profit also plans to increase its current endowment for long-term vitality and sustainability. The campaign will add $2 million to a general endowment and will add $100,000 to Hope Clinic’s annual operating budget.

So far the campaign has raised $2.1 million towards its goal and is supported by leaders from St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, IHA and Michigan Medicine.

Hope for Tomorrow is chaired by St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor and Livingston President Alonzo Lewis, and Suzanne Lewis; IHA CEO Mark LePage, MD, MBA and Heather LePage, CPA; and Senior Vice-President and COO of University of Michigan Health System-Michigan Medicine T. Anthony Denton, JD, MHSA and University of Michigan Vice-Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs and professor of Radiation Oncology Lori Pierce, MD.

Hope Clinic is at 518 Harriet St. in Ypsilanti and at 33608 Palmer Rd. in Westland.