Friends and colleagues,

Thirty years ago today our local Foundation was “born.”

Since March 28, 1995, the Foundation has worked with partners to build and support healthy communities for all people. We are proud to join with nonprofit, education, public, and private sectors in their daily work to strengthen our region.

In the background of this email, you can see the resolution that created what we now call the Arras Foundation, formed by the sale of the local hospital. Today, the Foundation continues to honor it's original vision from 1995: to be proactive and think holistically about community health & wellness.

We look forward to continuing our work with partners as together “we envision the communities we serve as places where all people join together to build on community assets for current and future generations, and where all people have the opportunity to reach their full potential [North Star, 2016].”

Susan and Lisa

In celebration of our 30th anniversary, the Arras Foundation is proud to support the participation of over 40 nonprofit leaders in Chester and Lancaster counties in a new 3-year pilot membership partnership with Together SC.

This learning cohort, the first of its kind and in partnership with our state's premier nonprofit association, will provide our local nonprofit community champions an extensive array of networking, professional development, and human resource opportunities, as well as personalized/localized support. We are excited to learn alongside this cohort and explore new ways to strengthen community impact and continue growing a healthier community, together.

Congratulations to these 44 local nonprofits, all Give Local 2024 participants, who applied and were selected to join this new initiative:

Lions Vision Services is the Arras Foundation's newest healthy community grant recipient. We are happy to support their project, Envision Lancaster, that will increase access to sight-saving eye care services for low-income families in Lancaster County, Fort Lawn, and Great Falls.

With an increased presence in our region, Lions Vision Services can further their mission to empower the under-served blind and visually impaired in South Carolina to live safe, meaningful, and fulfilling lives.

In March, communities across the nation celebrated the positive impact AmeriCorps members make through service. This year’s theme was “AmeriCorps Works for America” - a testament to the contributions of service members throughout the U.S. 

Since 2017, national AmeriCorps service has been in Lancaster and Chester county through our college and career advising program. Created in response to the needs expressed by 600 local young people, this program is expected to have served 8,000 seniors by June 2025. With personal guidance on college, career, military, and all things postsecondary, our advisers are making AmeriCorps work for South Carolina.

Seen on the right of the above photo, from left to right, thank you to advisers John Austin (ILHS), Gracie Helms (BHS), Jakayla Lynn (GFHS), Madyson Patsel (Lancaster HS), Jordan Snipes (Lewisville HS), and Octavius Strobert (CHS) for serving the students of Lancaster and Chester with unwavering dedication.