Unity Health Care to Host A Night of Unity Gala on December 1, 2023

Unity Health Care (Unity) will host A Night of Unity at Union Station on December 1, 2023. The gala event will recognize those who are making a difference in the health care and equity landscape in Washington, DC and share two awards, the Dr. Jesse B. Barber, Jr. Community Health Care Award and the Partners in Caring Award. Funds raised will support the many programs and operations that make Unity such an important healthcare resource to many thousands of DC residents each year. NBC4’s Leon Harris will serve as Master of Ceremonies.

The evening’s first award is named for one of Unity’s co-founders, Dr. Jesse B. Barber, Jr., and honors an individual whose personal efforts and commitment to the field of health care advocacy have improved access for all medically underserved people. Muriel Bowser, Mayor of the District of Columbia, will be presented with the Dr. Jesse B. Barber, Jr. Community Health Care Award in recognition of her vision, leadership and commitment to health equity during her tenure as Mayor of the District of Columbia.

“On behalf of our entire community, I want to share my gratitude for the thousands of people who work every day to build a healthier, more equitable DC,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser. “From the health care and construction teams who are building the new hospital, to the outreach teams who provide behavioral and mental health care in our community, to the staff at our new Stabilization Center who are using their lived experiences to change lives – in every corner of our city, we have people working 24/7 to keep DC healthy. We are especially grateful for the team at Unity – our partners in the work to ensure everyone in our city, regardless of circumstances, has access to compassionate, high-quality health care.”

The Partners in Caring Award is given to Unity partners who share their time, commitment and resources to Unity’s mission. The 2023 award will be presented to The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation for their gracious and impactful support of Unity’s mission. In April 2023, The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation committed $2.3 million dollars to Unity to establish The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation Behavioral Health Development Fund. This transformational gift has allowed Unity to begin to recruit and train the next generation of mental health providers, with a focus on models of care that improve outcomes and drive health equity, with the goal of meeting this critical workforce need.

“This is more than just an award for us, it is a recognition of the power of purposeful partnership. When philanthropy joins forces with effective organizations, aligned by a shared vision and a drive for impact, we can unlock new opportunities that improve the conditions of communities for which we care so deeply,” said Mieka Wick, CEO of The J. Willard and Alice S.  Marriott Foundation. 

“I'm excited to be able to come together as a community to celebrate amazing partners like Mayor Bowser and The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation,” said Unity President and CEO, Dr. Jessica Henderson Boyd. “Unity provides care to 1 in 8 District residents, and we know we can’t do it alone. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase our impact and why our work is so vital to our great City.”

For more information about A Night of Unity or to support Unity’s mission and critical community programs and services, please email unityevents@unityhealthcare.org or by calling Tara Handron at 202-715-7986.