On the 20th anniversary of the Napa Valley Vintners Community Health Center, Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) announces the gift of the 25,000 square-foot facility to OLE Health. The building, valued at $17 million, is the largest ever single donation to a nonprofit by NVV.
When it comes to supporting its community, Napa Valley is a global leader in the wine industry. This most recent gift is only one example of the long-running commitment the Napa Valley wine industry has to its community. Over the last 40 years, NVV has given more than $225 million to local nonprofits in the areas of health care and children’s welfare and education including more than $60 million to OLE Health.
The facility was the first permanent home for OLE Health. This major step played an important role in its growth over the next 20 years.
“Our founders long ago recognized that people are our most important asset. Our focus on giving the last forty years has been to help create infrastructure and systems to support current and future generations in Napa Valley. We’re proud to gift this facility to OLE Health to help ensure its continued success,” said Linda Reiff, CEO and President of Napa Valley Vintners.
In 1972, OLE Health was founded by farmworkers and vintners to provide health care to low-income, uninsured individuals. Today, the collaboration between OLE Health and the Napa Valley wine industry continues providing affordable care to the community, serving one in four residents including more than 4,000 farmworkers.
“We are extremely appreciative of the support our community, and the Napa Valley Vintners in particular, continue to show to OLE Health,” said Alicia Hardy, CEO of OLE Health. “The Napa Valley Vintners have been instrumental in giving us two permanent homes here in Napa, providing a stable future for the organization and the patients we serve each day. Knowing we can count on the vintner community’s continued support for the services we provide means so much to the vulnerable members of the community who rely on us.”
In 1998, the idea to provide an affordable home to OLE Health was brought forward by John Shafer. His idea was a catalyst for the NVV to build a Community Health Center that would house four nonprofits: OLE Health, Sister Ann Dental Clinic, Healthy Moms and Babies and NEWS (Napa Emergency Women’s Services), the first three would eventually merge with OLE Health. Today, OLE Health and NEWS remain in the building.
Shafer worked alongside other local leaders, including Richard Walton, Peter McCrea, Rick Jones, Bernard Portet, Gary Gates, Davie Piña, Oscar Renteria, Lynn Hill and Scott Hill among many others, to shepherd it through to completion. Helping to ensure the vision of the center, Sue Parry worked alongside Shafer and has served as administrator for the building since its opening.
This August marks the 20th anniversary of the Napa Valley Vintners Community Health Center and the 50th anniversary of OLE Health. With this gift, NVV transfers ownership of the building to OLE Health providing a permanent, mortgage-free home that will be called the OLE Health Napa Valley Vintners North Napa Campus.
