WEST OCEAN CITY, Md. - Mayor Rick Meehan presented a check for $250,000 to Diakonia Officials for their Supportive Living Campus Capital Campaign.
Diakonia is a non-profit organization that serves individuals, families and Veterans in Ocean City for more than five decades.
The future housing will be located on 4.4 acres, next to the Decatur Diner on Stephen Decatur Highway. The campus is planned to include an expanded food pantry, thrift store, new veteran support and outreach offices and over 42 supportive housing units.
Diakonia Chairman Brian Roberts says this has been a need in Worcester County for over 30 years and says he’s blessed to have the town involved.
“To me, this means everything,” he says. “The support to have the town come through with our shelter. We've been here for 50 years plus. It's unbelievable support that they've given us.”
Officials say that as of today, about $5.5 million has been raised for a $7.35 million phase one project. The entire project will cost about $15.5 million.
Diakonia Executive Director Ken Argot says the organization’s goal is about creating solutions, not just bringing relief.
“The idea is to create a number of single-rent occupancies as well as 2 or 3 bedrooms for some families, so that people can move from shelter into their own place,” he says. “And then eventually, if they want to move from there to somewhere else, but all the resources will be on site that they might need. All their case managers, especially with our veterans because it's going to be a veteran and outreach case management office.”
Mayor Rick Meehan says Diakonia is a tremendous resource to the community.
“Whatever we can do as a community to assist those individuals that want assistance, that want help, that want to get back into the community and get back into the workforce, I think that's a great opportunity for us to be involved,” he says.
Diakonia plans to host a campaign kick-off event on November 6, from 6 p.m to 9 p.m. Admission is $100 per person, and will take place in Morley Hall at Seacrets in Ocean City.
Officials say the hope is to get shovels in the ground by February of next year, and be finished before winter of 2028.
