Each year during the CAHEC Partners Conference, we recognize an inspirational resident during our awards luncheon. This year, we had the honor of meeting Tina Rice, a resident at Northpoint Commons II Apartments, located in Asheville, NC. In 2023, Tina was the recipient of a $3,500 NAHMA Educational Foundation scholarship, which was financially supported by the CAHEC Foundation. As we learned more about her story through her scholarship application, we knew she was the perfect resident to highlight for this year's award.

"Tina's scholarship essay was incredible," explained Stefanie Lee, Community Relations Manager for CAHEC. "Tina shared that she was a kindergarten teacher who is going back to school to pursue her degree in social work, and that affordable housing is the reason she was able to get back on track to follow her dreams. That's the ultimate goal with this partnership - to support residents through life-changing opportunities - and she's so deserving of this recognition."

We encourage you to take a few minutes to watch the video of Tina that was played during the 2024 CAHEC Awards luncheon earlier this month. She's a true inspiration for us to keep working hard to provide wellness and educational resources to the residents we serve.

The CAHEC Foundation is on a mission to support a school food pantry during the upcoming school year, providing food items and/or hygiene products to students in need. Our goal is to raise $10,000 for this initiative!

Low-income families with children receiving free or reduced lunch at school often struggle with food security in the home. School food pantries provide families with fresh produce, non-perishable items, microwaveable meals, and sometimes meat, to help prepare students for the nights and weekends ahead. When there is a resource like this at school, students can discretely request items and pick them up when they're leaving for the day. Last year, we were able to provide over 5,200 meals to students facing hunger.

We're requesting the help of our partners to make this a possibility again for the 2024-2025 school year. If you'd like to help us reach this goal, please contact Stefanie Lee at slee@cahec.com to make a donation.