Grant to fund the development of a retreat and training center on Galveston Island
The Moody Foundation has granted $2 million to Galveston Urban Ministries (GUM) to build a nearly 18,000 square-foot Retreat & Training Center on Galveston Island.
Nearly one in four Galveston residents live in poverty. At 22%, this is dramatically higher than the number of people who live below the poverty line in other areas of Texas. Though Galveston has made significant recovery efforts following Hurricane Ike, many neighbors are still caught in the cycle of poverty.
“While poverty exists throughout the Island, the north of Broadway neighborhood in which we live and serve is heavily concentrated with children and adults living in generational poverty,” said Josh Dorrell, GUM executive director. “The Retreat & Training Center will provide much-needed services for the people who live and work here, especially in our neighborhood.”
With the Center, GUM will offer services at the core of its mission, create meaningful jobs and prepare marginalized Galvestonians for competitive wage employment, while providing a consistent revenue stream and long-term sustainability for GUM.
“Galveston overflows with a rich, vibrant history made up of its hard working people,” said Ross Moody, trustee of the Moody Foundation. “The Moody Foundation and Galveston Urban Ministries have a shared mission to rebuild the city and its communities for its future vitality.”
Once completed, the Center will serve three vital purposes:
- Offer year-round lodging for up to 100 paying, nightly guests and contribute to GUM’s sustainability
- Serve as a training center for unemployed and under-employed Galvestonians while also creating management, hospitality, tourism and marketing jobs within the complex itself
- Serve as a shelter and resource in times of natural disasters
“The Moody Foundation has been most generous to GUM, and we are grateful for the partnership,” added Dorrell. “We’re excited to have this kind of backing from a local foundation to show its support in such a big way.”
