Dickey Museum & Multipurpose Center, Inc. July 5, 2023
Dickey House Awarded $500,000 Reconstruction Grant
St. David’s Foundation Funds Center for Well-Being in Taylor
Taylor, TX, July 5, 2023 – The Dickey Museum & Multipurpose Center (DMMC), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to improving community well-being through promotion of the living legacy of Dr. James Lee Dickey, announced today that St. David’s Foundation (SDF) has awarded a grant of $500,000 toward the reconstruction of a replica of Dr. Dickey’s former home in Taylor, which was destroyed by fire in July 2022.
Preservation Texas (PT), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization committed to supporting historic preservation activities statewide, was invited by SDF to serve as the fiscal sponsor for the grant award. PT brings decades of experience facilitating grant programs to the project and is actively working to secure new sources of funding whilst overseeing design and construction of the new building.
“The Dickey House will serve as a community resource wellness center,” said Jennifer Harris, board president of the Dickey Museum & Multipurpose Center. “Dickey House will impact community well-being by connecting underserved and under-represented residents to needed referrals and follow-ups for medical care and social services that improve health outcomes.”
“As a community-focused and equity-driven funder, St. David’s Foundation is guided by the belief and commitment that individuals and communities should have opportunities to achieve optimal health. In many areas, including rural and under-resourced communities, this is simply out of reach due to complex, structural, and systemic barriers,” said Abena Asante, Senior Program Officer, St. David’s Foundation. “We are honored to support the Dickey Museum & Multipurpose Center and are deeply aligned with its agenda to address health disparities while providing opportunities to amplify the voices of underserved and under-represented communities in Taylor.”
Dickey House honors the legacy of Dr. James Lee Dickey, who, in 1921, began his practice as the only Black physician in Williamson County. Dr. Dickey practiced medicine in a place and time when freedom was granted, but equality was denied. Dickey House is in the heart of Taylor’s Health Equity Zone – census tracts identified as having higher-than-average health risks and socio-economic burdens. Through collaborations with the Williamson County and Cities Health District and other nonprofits, Dickey House will provide community members with equitable access to trusted systems of care.
“Our plan is to complete the reconstruction of Dickey House in time for a community celebration coinciding with Juneteenth in 2024,” said Mrs. Harris.
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About the Dickey Museum & Multipurpose Center, Inc. (DMMC):
The DMMC seeks to improve community well-being through promotion of the legacy of Dr. James Lee Dickey, African American physician, humanitarian, civil rights advocate and concerned citizen. The Dickey House restoration project previously received funding from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Summerlee Foundation (TX), the Texas Historical Commission, the Texas Historical Foundation, Williamson County, Taylor Community and various anonymous donors.
About St. David’s Foundation:
St. David’s Foundation is a community-focused and equity-driven organization supporting health and wellness in five Central Texas counties. As one of the largest health foundations in the United States, through grants and programs the Foundation invests over $80 million annually in a five-county area surrounding Austin, Texas. From a unique partnership with St. David’s HealthCare, the Foundation strategically reinvests proceeds from the hospital system back into the community, with a mission of advancing health equity in Central Texas through investment and action. Beyond grantmaking, the Foundation operates the largest mobile dental program in the country providing charity care and offer the largest healthcare scholarship program in Texas, the St. David’s Neal Kocurek Program. To learn more, please visit www.stdavidsfoundation.org
About Preservation Texas:
Founded in 1985, Preservation Texas is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to offering a range of statewide preservation programs. Preservation Texas protects historic places through direct investments, grants, and by empowering people and organizations through advocacy, collaboration, and education. Learn more at PreservationTexas.org.
Media Contact:
Mrs. Jennifer Harris, President, Dickey Museum & Multipurpose Center, Inc.
Email: Admin@dickeymuseum.org
Phone number: 512-296-6109
Media Contact:
Name
St. David’s Foundation
Email: media@stdavidsfoundation.org
Phone number: (512) 879-6600
