CAHEC Connection: September 2020 Newsletter

Partner Spotlight: The Humanities Foundation

Over the past 28 years, the Humanities Foundation has developed 28 housing communities with over 2,500 affordable and workforce housing units in South Carolina, Virginia, Louisiana, and Georgia. Beyond affordable housing, they also provide a wide range of services to assist residents with health and human services needs. To name a few, their list of usual services include youth summer camps, shoe drives, food assistance, and after-school tutoring. However, the pandemic has forced them to alter services and take precautionary measures in order to continue interacting with residents.

“We have changed programs related to face-to-face interactions in order to adhere to CDC safety regulations pertaining to social distancing,” Lamar Mowatt, Director of Resident Services for the Humanities Foundation, explained. “We still offer a lot of the same programs; we just have to make sure we offer them in a way that keeps residents as safe as possible.” One program that has had major success over the last six months has been food assistance. “Since April, we’ve partnered with over 25 community agencies to provide over 750,000 meals to surrounding communities in our footprint,” Lamar stated. “Our staff works endlessly to deliver food and fresh produce to our most vulnerable population.”

While Humanities Foundation usually provides summer camp experiences for the youth residing on their properties, they had to find a more creative way to engage with them this summer. To encourage residents to get outside and safely interact with neighbors, a “Movie on the Lawn” initiative was created. “Each night was filled with safe fellowship, free pizza, popcorn, snow cones, and a kid friendly movie,” Lamar explained. “This was a great way for us to provide a little fun during a strange and trying time.”

Making an Impact: CAHEC at Work

The 2019-2020 Making an Impact: CAHEC at Work is now available online! Take a minute to explore this interactive platform and learn how we are positively impacting the residents and communities within our footprint.

"True leadership is more than growing a business and managing a budget. It is having the fortitude to lead outside one's comfort zone, during times of change, for the benefit of those being served." -Dana Boole, President & CEO

Mission in Action

Congrats to Meadowthorpe Landing in Lexington, KY, on receiving a Rex Williams Wellness Grant from the CAHEC Foundation! Residents will have access to a treadmill, elliptical, recumbent bike, weights, and a stretch cord set to help keep them active onsite. We're sure they'll enjoy this amenity when it opens!