The event honored Maureen Lewis, this year’s recipient of the first Agape Ascend Award. Ms Lewis is a graduate of Agape, having successfully completed the program in 2006. Since then, she has worked at Agape as the Peer Specialist, lending her personal experience with the residents during residential treatment and thereafter.

The event was attended by both Florida Senators Marco Rubio (R) and Rick Scott (R), along with U.S. Representatives Federica S. Wilson (D-FL 24th District), Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL 23rd District), Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL 27th District), Lois Frankel (D-FL 21st District), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL 25th District), Ted Deutch (D-FL 22nd District), and Carlos Gimenez (R-FL 26th District).

Board members Joseph and Alexandra Milton provided the status of the building expansion currently under construction.

In response to the growing behavioral health and housing needs of the South Florida community, Agape began construction in 2020 on a $15M capital expansion for the Agape Village Health Center, a national model of integrated care, which will increase its capacity from 1,000 to 2,500 outpatient clients receiving weekly services. Residential inpatient capacity will be increased from 62-beds to 141-beds. The Health Center includes a clinic and wellness medical center, which will provide primary and behavioral healthcare to its clients. It also includes an educational and vocational center that will assist the residents with job training and life skills and will offer a culinary arts certification program. It will provide supportive housing to clients transitioning from residential treatment where mothers and their children can live from nine months to one year. A preschool/early childhood education/daycare center will serve the children living at the Health Center and ensure that they are prepared to succeed when they enroll in school.