How Friends of Wells/Robertson House Began

In the late 80's, an increasing homeless population was impacting the appearance of Olde Towne, Gaithersburg and discouraging patrons. In response, the Gaithersburg Mayor Edward Bohrer (picture shown on the right) and City Council formed a committee charged to: review the homeless situation and its impact on the city report back with recommended actions. The committee was comprised of a mix of both city residents and business owners who volunteered to serve.

The committee report indicated that many of the homeless in the city had ties to the city through family and/or employment. Most were found to be suffering from a combination of addiction to alcohol and/or drugs and a variety of mental illnesses. The committee report included a number of recommendations. One of the more significant recommendations was that Mayor Edward Bohrer and City Council initiate a city program and services to help the homeless. This led to the city hiring a homeless advocate and establishing the Wells Robertson House (facility) and program.

The city quickly recognized that with the initiation of this program and helping homeless individuals that the city would be responsible for ensuring funding for the long term continuity of the program and services including an expected rise in the numbers in need of assistance. Once a homeless individual accepted help and entered the program, there could be no gaps in funding or support.

In addition to inclusion in the city annual budget, funding support was available each year from the county, state and Federal level. This was by no means a stable source of revenue for supplementing the city expenses in operating the program. The largest financial support came from HUD, and was annually subject to changes in their priorities, HUD budget allocation for these funds, and increased competition from across the country for the limited HUD funds available.

Additional sources of funding were available through individual or business donations, and grants from various organizations and foundations. Unfortunately funding from organizations and foundations were generally available to a not for profit or service provider, but not to a local government. In addition, individuals and organizations were more likely to make donations to a not for profit organizations that could also provide the donor with an income tax benefit (charitable contribution).

In a variety of ways, the city of Gaithersburg assisted in the establishment of a not for profit 501 c3 organization (FWRH) that could provide broader opportunities for furthering the financial support of this fledgling program and facility. The FWRH was formally established in 1993 with many members of the original city committee serving as Board members as well as the city Director Human Services, Linda Morganstein. The city of Gaithersburg provided FWRH with office space and equipment, meeting space as well as a variety of administrative staff support for approximately 15 years. The city continues to provide meeting space.

There were many drivers that led to the formation of the FWRH. Key were the desire to provide a mechanism for:

Special Events

Mark your calendars because we are about to kick off the 2009 Denim & Diamonds Gala. This promises to be an exciting and fun evening for everyone.

The Denim & Diamonds Gala will be held at the Hilton Hotel, Gaithersburg, Maryland on Friday, May 8, 2009.