David Wagner, executive director of the Carver Community Organization, was named the recipient of the 2019 Governor’s Award for Achievement in Health & Wellness Tuesday during a reception hosted by Governor Eric Holcomb in Indianapolis.
The award states that the recipient of this award is committed to the creation and preservation of physical and mental health and wellness in their community, using their talents to improve the lives of fellow Hoosiers.
Carver Community Organization has a long history of serving the community. Its program offerings include first and second-shift childcare; after school and summer youth programs, and programs and meals for senior citizens like AARP Foundation Experience Corp, and RSVP Volunteer Program.
Wagner has served as the executive director of the organization for 30 years. Over the years, Carver has evolved to meet the needs of the community. Carver will celebrate its 74th year of service on September 27 and its annual luncheon.
Carver History: Carver came about following World War II, when E.T. Atwell, the Field Representative for the National Recreation Association, visited cities and towns throughout the Midwest. His goal was to establish community centers in these communities to provide wholesome leisure activities and develop organizations to operate the centers. Evansville was one of the targeted cities.
The building located at 705 Lincoln Avenue in 1944, served as a USO center during the war and was available if a management agency could be developed. Interested person came together and a promise of funding from the Evansville Community Chest was planned. The building was named after George Washington Carver, who became famous for his work as a chemistry professor at Tuskegee Institute. Carver Community Organization was accepted as a member of the Community Chest (later the United Fund of Evansville and finally United Way of Southwest Indiana).
In early 1967, the property (commonly known as Carver Center and Bellemeade Park) was acquired by the city of Evansville; Carver relinquished the promotion, organization, and supervision of recreation activities to the Recreation Commission of the City of Evansville. Carver embarked on a program of social welfare service to the neighborhood surrounding Carver Center at 705 Lincoln Avenue.
In 1968, Carver began its Day Care Center in the basement of New Hope Baptist Church. After-School Child Care began in 1982 and these programs have continued since that time. James M. Landers retired as Executive Director on December 31, 1988. In 1989, his successor was David Wagner.
