The mission of the Drew Lewis Foundation is to educate, empower, and support underserved families through personalized programs and coaching to increase quality of life and build resilient communities. The historic Fairbanks Elementary—a former public school built in 1906—had fallen into severe disrepair. The DLF reimagined the Fairbanks building as a Community Hub housing a number of community be
tterment initiatives that work to improve the quality of life within the neighborhood. The Services & Programs Drew Lewis Foundation offers are:
- RISE (Reaching Independence through Support and Education) — Our core program works through intensive case management and curriculum to improve sufficiency in a variety of indicators including education, employment, debt reduction, quality childcare, and parenting.
- Blue House Project (BHP) & Healthy Homes Initiative (HHI) — We purchase low-cost homes and renovate them. We then select qualified members of RISE to live in the homes for a period of 2 years while they pay rent and learn about homeownership, eventually purchasing the home. Through home visits and educational curriculum, we educate on the Healthy Homes Principles and their relationship to physical and mental health of the home’s residents.
- Nonprofit Career Academy — A post-secondary education and training institute. This is a gateway for employees to enter the pipeline in the nonprofit sector and build a successful career.
- Fairbanks Community Hub — The Fairbanks Community Hub (a HUD-certified EnVision Center), brings together a multitude of service agencies, co-locating them centrally in a distressed neighborhood where their services are needed most. Interested in learning more? Feel free to message us or email [email protected]. We hope to connect with you!
