Washington Blade - October 26, 2001
Kara Fox

Us Helping Us, an AIDS service organization for black gay men, recently purchased a building in the city for $438,000, to serve as its new official headquarters and service facility. The purchase of 3636 Georgia Ave., NW, a two-story structure on the corner of Georgia Avenue and Princeton Street, is being hailed by the organization as a historic event for the community. "Never before has a black gay AIDS organization owned a building in this city," said Ron Simmons, executive director of Us Helping Us. "And we may be one of the first black gay AIDS organizations in the country to do so."

Currently, the organization's offices are located in two small rental properties in Southeast, according to Simmons. The buildings include a two-bedroom house and a two-story office building. Together, the two buildings have 2,600 square feet of space including three private offices and one community meeting room. Simmons described the space the current buildings provide a "barrier to the growth of the organization." He said his organization recently received a grant to implement a new program, but there is no space to house new employees or the program.

"We have 13 programs currently and nowhere to put them," he said. "We may have to lease a two-to three-bedroom space to put them in until we can move into the new building. That's why time is such a factor."

The organization could not expand its programs because it did not have the space needed for additional staff. Simmons added that he posted three vacancies that the group currently has right now, but they have room for only one new employee.

"The growth of Us Helping Us has surpassed all expectations," Jerome Offord, the group's director of operations, said in a news release. "When we rented our second building in 1997, we only had three full-time employees. Today, we have over 15 full-time staff and 20 part-time staff."

In response to the need for space, Us Helping Us's board in May passed a resolution to purchase the new property.

"When the staff first approached the board about buying the building, some of the board members were skeptical -- and rightfully so," Dr. Morgan Jackson, chair of the board, said in the statement. "The purchase price for the building was nearly $500,000 and that's a major undertaking for a small community-based organization like Us Helping Us."

Simmons said the list price for the building was $475,000 and they ended up buying the property for $438,000 on Sept. 25. The new property is 61,000 square feet and will enable the organization to have all of its employees and programs in one building. Eventually, Simmons said he hopes to expand the organization to include more programs.

Now, $80,000 in renovations has to be done on the property prior to the organization occupying it. Simmons said he did not know about the renovations before the property was purchased, but that he hopes to move in by March. "It is about five to six months of work," he said.

During the organization's banquet Oct. 20 to raise money for the building, Simmons made a plea to the 350 attendees to match his personal check of $1,000 so the money could be raised for the renovations. He said $40,000 was raised that night in in-kind donations.

"That is unheard of [for a black gay organization]," he said. "It has never, never, never been done before. We are setting a precedent."

Between ticket sales, a silent auction, and donations, Simmons estimates the organization made around $50,000 that night, but he did not have any final figures.

He said $40,000 still needs to be raised for renovations, but said that money will come through grants and foundations.

Simmons explained that the renovation of the building would be implemented in four phases. Phase one will be the completion of the renovations necessary to occupy the building and provide services, phase two will include remodeling of the program services area within the building, phase three will include remodeling of the administrative areas of the building, and the fourth phase will be the completion of remaining renovations necessary to make the building fully comply with the American with Disabilities Act standards. INFO

Us Helping Us 811 L St., SE Washington, DC 20003 202-546-8200

The remaining $40,000 needed is just for phase one. During the banquet, Simmons told the crowd that the total renovations would cost $260,000 to complete. Simmons said his main focus is to come up with the money so the organization can move in. But, he is thankful for the $40,000 to start.

"This is an example of what the black gay community can do when we pull together for a common goal."

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