Board Chair
Marcus Whitfield
Retired hospital administrator and 20-year stroke recovery advocate.
House of LaClaire Inc. | Est. Community 2024
Saturday · May 15, 2027
Section I — Our Story
About House of
LaClaire.
Founder’s Vision
A Movement of Hope, Healing & Support.
Tressa Archer is a stroke survivor who experienced firsthand the physical, emotional, and mental challenges of recovery. She created this 5K as a movement of hope, healing, and support — a place where stroke survivors, caregivers, families, healthcare professionals, veterans, seniors, and community supporters come together, so that every survivor knows they are never alone.
Her vision is a future where recovery is celebrated rather than hidden, where awareness saves lives because neighbors know the signs of stroke and act quickly, and where no family has to navigate the long work of recovery in isolation.
“My vision is simple: to turn my personal journey into a source of hope for thousands of others, proving that recovery is possible, every step matters, and together we are stronger.”
Filed by House of LaClaire
Our Story.
House of LaClaire Inc. began in 2024, in a small living room, around a folding table, with a stack of hand-written notes from families who had watched a loved one survive a stroke and then quietly disappear into the long, isolating work of recovery. Our founder, stroke survivor Tressa Archer, had lived that experience firsthand — the abrupt hospital discharge, the tangled insurance calls, the neighbors who meant well but did not know what to bring or when to knock. She built House of LaClaire so that no family in our community would have to walk that road alone again.
Today, House of LaClaire funds recovery grants, caregiver respite, and public awareness campaigns designed to help our neighbors recognize the signs of stroke earlier and respond faster. The annual 5K Run/Walk is our largest gathering — a single morning each spring when survivors, clinicians, families, and volunteers meet on the same road and walk it together. Everything we do begins with the belief that recovery is a communal act, and that our community is stronger when we show up for one another in plain, practical, unglamorous ways.
Section II — Purpose
Mission & Vision.
Our Mission
To walk alongside stroke survivors and their families through every step of the long road home.
We fund recovery grants, caregiver respite, and public education programs, and we build community events that bring survivors, clinicians, and neighbors together in shared purpose.
Our Vision
A community where no stroke survivor recovers alone, and no family navigates the aftermath in silence.
We envision neighborhoods where the signs of stroke are recognized in minutes, not hours, and where recovery is met with practical help, informed care, and steady company.
Founder & Executive Director
Tressa Archer.
Tressa Archer is a stroke survivor. She lived the physical, emotional, and mental challenges of recovery firsthand, and created the Stroke Recovery 5K Run/Walk as a movement of hope, healing, and support — bringing together stroke survivors, caregivers, families, healthcare professionals, veterans, seniors, and community supporters so that every survivor knows they are never alone.
Since
2024
Grants Issued
187
Section III — Governance
Board of Directors.
Vice Chair
Dr. Elena Reyes
Neurologist specializing in post-stroke rehabilitation and community care.
Treasurer
Grace Nakamura
CPA and long-standing volunteer with local caregiver support networks.
Secretary
Daniel O'Connor
Nonprofit strategist focused on grassroots community fundraising.
Section IV — In Company
Our Partners.
House of LaClaire's work is possible because of the hospitals, clinics, credit unions, and community foundations that stand with us. Our partnership program invites organizations to fund recovery grants, staff volunteer shifts, and host awareness events year-round.
Riverfront Regional Hospital
Meridian Neurology Group
Community First Credit Union
The Beacon Foundation
Northgate Rehabilitation
Civic Health Alliance