The National Community Development Association (NCDA) named the Grace Wellness Home as the recipient of the 2025 Audrey Nelson Community Development Achievement Award, which was presented at their Winter/Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. on Friday, February 7th. City of Orlando staff accepted the award and delivered a presentation on the partnership and project.
Since 2010, Grace Medical Home has provided comprehensive medical and dental care, mental health counseling, social services, spiritual care and more to low-income, uninsured residents in the City of Orlando and Orange County. Recognizing the continued and increasing need for mental health services as a vital part of overall patient care, Grace purchased the building across the street from their current center in 2022 to expand their campus, utilizing $365,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds provided by the City of Orlando. This project, the recently completed Grace Wellness Home, allows Grace to expand their mental health services and wellness initiatives to some of our most vulnerable residents, ensuring that no one in our community is left behind.
“We are thrilled that NCDA has chosen the Grace Wellness Home for this prestigious award," said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “The City of Orlando is committed to ensuring that every person who lives in Orlando feels equally valued and has equal access to opportunity. Grace Medical Home has been a valuable community partner and we are proud of our investment, as we work together to ensure access to quality healthcare and mental health services for our residents.”
This project would not have been possible without the support and collaboration of multiple community partners, who invested a collective $1,271,500 to purchase, renovate, staff and furnish the Grace Wellness Home. In addition to the City of Orlando’s contribution, the following organizations stepped forward to fund the renovation, a testament to the shared vision for this initiative throughout our community: Bea for Kids, Dr. Phillips Charities, Elevation Church, First Orlando, Florida Blue Foundation, Heart of Florida United Way, Orange County Government and The Joe and Sarah Galloway Foundation.
“Restoring our patients’ health and hope is a profound task—one we can’t undertake alone,” said Stephanie Garris, Grace Medical Home’s CEO. “We are deeply grateful for the partners and supporters who made this dream a reality, especially the Housing and Community Development Department with the City of Orlando. Grace Wellness Home stands as a testament to our commitment to meeting our community’s evolving needs, providing vital mental health and wellness services in a sanctuary designed for healing and hope.”
The City of Orlando nominated the Grace Wellness Home for the 2025 Audrey Nelson Community Development Achievement Award, named in honor of NCDA’s first Deputy Executive Secretary. Nelson grew up in an inner-city Chicago neighborhood which was a target area for the local Model Cities Program, a precursor to the CDBG program. Her commitment to her neighborhood, her local program efforts, and her drive to serve low-income people was cut short by her death from cancer at the age of 29. This award is given annually to a limited number of select projects and programs that display exemplary achievement in service to communities and their lower-income residents through the innovative use of CDBG and/or HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program funds.
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