After 18 months of construction, the new campus and headquarters of Martha’s Vineyard Community Services (MVCS) was officially opened Friday afternoon in a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The campus at 111 Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road, across from Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, has served Islanders for six decades. The new headquarters, built by West Tisbury-based South Mountain Company and named in honor of the Morby Family for their $3 million gift, is 13,700 square feet and features “modern, accessible spaces that prioritize client safety, privacy, and dignity,” a press release from MVCS stated.
The “overall campus refurbishment,” the release stated, will be unveiled next spring, and both milestones mark “a significant community-led investment in the future of health and human services” on the Island.
After the ceremony, MVCS CEO Scott Turton, board chair Amy Gavin, and chair of the board’s Space to THRIVE campaign, Gary Foster, welcomed guests to self-guided tours of the building. There was also a musical performance by the Black Brook Singers of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), readings from “People and Predicaments,” the 1976 book about community health needs on Martha’s Vineyard by MVCS founder and author, Dr. Milton Mazer, and remarks by James Anthony, president and CEO of Martha’s Vineyard Bank.
Gavin, who shared her experience as a survivor of domestic and gun violence with the audience, emphasized how MVCS serves the Island community.
“My journey of hope and healing is why the mission of MVCS to help our entire Island community be as vibrant, strong, and healthy as it can be is so deeply personal to me. Because no one should ever have to face trauma, seek safety, or rebuild their life alone,” Gavin said. “Like all of you, I treasure MVCS’s unwavering commitment to providing year-round care for all Islanders.”
Turton expressed his thankfulness for the new building.
“I’m personally overcome with gratitude. Gratitude to Mother Nature for squeezing us in between rain, wind, and a cold front coming tomorrow. Gratitude to each of you, neighbors, partners, donors, clients, friends, and family, who have taken time out of your day to spend it here with us today,” Turton said. “Gratitude for the dream team of a staff. I see a lot of you up there who show up every day with their caring talents and full hearts, in whom I know I now have the privilege of leading as chief executive officer of this company.”
There is also a curated art collection assembled by MVCS board member Liza Cowan May that includes 120 works by more than 60 Island artists. The offices in the new building include mental health and substance use disorder services for children, youth, adults and elders, veterans services, senior services, disability services, a CONNECT to End Violence Extension office, as well as MVCS administration, finance, development, human resources, IT and facilities offices.
“The new facility replaces a deteriorating complex of decades-old structures, bringing MVCS services under one roof to improve access and care coordination. Its accessible, energy-efficient design can adapt to changing programs, service demands, and client needs over time,” the release stated.
The former counseling facility is set to be demolished and replaced with greenspace and walkways for clients and the public.
The new main building sits beside the Paul and Sandra Pimentel Early Childhood Center, which was completed in 2021, and the Red House Peer Recovery Support Center. Within the headquarters are the William and Rose Styron Center for Wellness and Recovery to serve as a hub for MVCS mental health and substance use disorder services, the new Rappaport
Welcome Center and waiting room named after the late Ron Rappaport and his family, and the Nancy and Jerome Kohlberg, Jr. Board and Community Room.
