The Martha O’Bryan Center opened its doors Friday to a major expansion to the work the organization is already doing to transform the lives of Nashville families living in poverty.
The organization’s new 30 thousand square foot Faith building will include a food bank and an early learning center near its existing facilities in East Nashville’s Cacye Place.
“Our new campus is both a place and a strategy – it provides our clients with access to facilities that match our integrated approach to services,” said Martha O’Bryan Center CEO Marsha Edwards. “We help families break the cycle of poverty through upward economic mobility. This investment will serve our city for the next 20 years, and it was made possible with the generous support of our capital donors who know that uplifting their fellow Nashvillians benefits our entire community.”
The new Faith building is part of the organization’s campus expansion project that began five years ago with the construction of Explore Community School, a public charter school for children K-8.
The organization is also remodeling its Hope Building to provide recreational programs. The entire project represents a $17 million investment.
The expansion project supports the Martha O’Bryan Center’s two-generational approach that pairs clients with a family coach who arranges individualized support to help them set and reach long-term goals. The organization says its comprehensive program gives families a clear path to achieve stability and self-sufficiency that’s different from traditional case management.
“Nashville’s nonprofit community serves as the cornerstone of our local social safety net, and the Martha O’Bryan Center exemplifies this commitment,” said Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell. “This expansion represents a bold step forward in the organization’s ongoing dedication to creating lasting, positive change in the lives of families and individuals across Nashville.”
The Martha O’Bryan Center serves more than 15 thousand children and adults each year.
