February 20, 2023
Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region and the Ada Jenkins Center (AJC) of Davidson, NC – longtime sources of strength and support for area families – are excited to announce a new partnership that will allow for greater collaboration of services, and more comprehensive coordination for clients and their families. In April, Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region will relocate its Cornelius Office to within the Ada Jenkins Center building, located at 212 Gamble Street, Davidson.
Habitat staff will work onsite at the Ada Jenkins Center, occupying two large suites and sharing meeting space as well as support staff.
“Our move to co-locate at Ada Jenkins Center in Davidson provides great synergy between our two organizations,” says Laura Belcher, President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region.
“We are excited to add a presence in Davidson while continuing our ReStore operations in Cornelius. Our commitment is to partner with families, donors and volunteers throughout the greater Lake Norman region, including Statesville, Mooresville, Davidson, Cornelius and Huntersville. Working side-by-side with the AJC team, we can offer a comprehensive array of services that support our local communities.”
Adds Ada Jenkins Center CEO, Harold Rice: “We couldn’t be more excited to have our colleagues at Habitat literally across the hallway from us. It’s a terrific opportunity for us to work even more closely together to serve families seeking case management and home ownership.”
Rice adds that the COVID economy has squeezed vulnerable families the hardest. Even before COVID, 95% of AJC’s clients lived at or below the Federal Poverty Level ($26,500 for a family of four). Since July 1, 2021, the Ada Jenkins Center staff have responded to 869 e-mails, calls, or texts seeking information about financial assistance or other family needs; 482 people have obtained groceries through its food pantry; and 75 families have received emergency financial assistance totaling more than $72,500. 105 new clients have entered its Economic Mobility program, receiving tenancy education, connections with area housing, budget assistance, employment and training resources, and more. AJC’s new Homeless Street Outreach Team has assisted 59 people experiencing homelessness, connecting them with essential services.
For the fiscal year that ends in June 2022, Habitat Charlotte Region plans to partner with over 330 families throughout a service area that spans from Statesville to Pineville – this includes 75 first time homeowners, 143 critical home repairs and 115 participants in Money Matters financial literacy course. Habitat’s Homeownership program partners with area families through education and volunteer hours to create homeowners with affordable mortgages. Critical Home Repair aims to keep low-income Charlotte Region homeowners in their homes by providing comprehensive safety and structural repairs. Money Matters seeks to educate area residents on financial literacy and household budgeting – graduates receive a grant to help improve their homeownership readiness.
The co-location of the two organizations provides additional benefits that allow both organizations to allocate more resources to their programs: Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region will sell its office building in Cornelius and reinvest a portion of the proceeds into renovations at the Cornelius Restore, with the balance used for mission-related activities; and the Ada Jenkins Center will earn rental revenue from leasing the space.
The Ada Jenkins Center is looking forward to additional partnerships within its physical space, to increase collaborations for client services. “This new arrangement is truly a win-win-win,” says Rice. “Our agencies already work closely together to help our clients – now we’ll be able to collaborate like never before.”
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The Ada Jenkins Center has stood in Davidson for more than 80 years as a hub for education and community services in northern Mecklenburg County. With services including social work case management; housing, employment and financial resources; youth and adult education; and food pantry, we help people in our community create lasting solutions for economic stability. To learn more, visit adajenkins.org.
