Georgetown Honors Gunther Stern's Service to the Community
Ellen MacNeille Charles opened her most elegant and exquisite Georgetown home Thursday evening to several hundred friends and neighbors. The occasion was the 2015 Spirit of Georgetown Benefit, this year honoring Gunther Stern for his 25 years of service to the Georgetown Ministry Center (GMC).
GMC co-chairs Jocelyn Dyer and Page Evans were on hand to help welcome guests to the lavish party that eventually made its way outside to the tented garden for cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and remarks.
Councilmember Jack Evans presented the "Freddie" Award to Stern for his dedication to the homeless and GMC, thanking him for dedicating his professional career to rebuilding and empowering the lives of people who are homeless by building relationships with these most service-resistant individuals in hopes of getting them off the streets.
Under Stern's remarkable leadership, GMC has grown from a small outreach center to a warm and welcoming clubhouse that provides people with a sense of respect and community. Advocating for those without a voice, Stern recently spoke before the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of Congress about changing laws to better serve the people who are mentally ill and homeless.
Outerbridge Horsey, the first president of of the GMC board, who hired Gunther 25 years ago was also recognized for his service to the community.
Thanking his host and guests, Stern spoke passionately, "When we talk about homelessness, what we are really talking about is profoundly mentally disabled people who have been allowed to languish on the streets because of antiquated laws. Let's talk about how we can fix the system."
As guests applauded his service, Stern closed by saying, "Next year we should honor Georgetown for being one of the most caring communities on earth."
