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The success of the Drew Lewis Foundation programs has fostered remarkable progress in the resilience and stability of their members. Notably, these successful programs have expanded to other areas in Missouri and Colorado.
Amy Blansit and husband, Drew Lewis, dreamed big and took a leap of faith purchasing the abandoned Fairbanks gradeschool. Although Drew lost his battle with cancer in May 2013, Amy continues to work to achieve their shared vision of community betterment through improving real estate. The Drew Lewis Foundation focuses on asset-based urban development to realize a community’s full potential. Residents of a community are inclined to preserve what they love. If a neighborhood’s parks, schools, and homes, are poorly kept, the motivation to preserve them fades away. An asset-based approach revitalizes the community infrastructure, and renews residents’ neighborhood pride.
How Our Foundation Started.
"Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much." - Helen Keller
Drew Lewis Foundation + Fairbanks Community Hub.
The Fairbanks now servers as a community hub in the Grant Beach Neighborhood. Many of the resources that families need are often spread across the city, providing a major obstacle.
The Fairbanks Community Hub brings together many of those resources and puts them under one roof. The Fairbanks Community Hub provides access to food, free WiFi, a library in the coffee shop, a market garden, youth services, a bike shop, and various nonprofit headquarters all in the same building.
Historic Fairbanks.
The Fairbanks was built in 1906 as a public school. It has had several additions since it opened its doors over a century ago. The Fairbanks began as a eight-room brick schoolhouse with indoor plumbing. Over the years, a cafeteria, gymnasium, two additional classrooms and a library were added. Fairbanks Elementary served Grant Beach Neighborhood area students for 100 years. Today, it continues to serve the community with cradle to career services.
Closure of the Fairbanks.
In 2007 the school closed after 100 years of service to our community. The attending students were routed to other area schools and the buildings quickly deteriorated and suffered vandalism. With new ownership in 2013, the buildings were restored and leased to community betterment initiatives.
Amy Blansit
Founder and CEO
Drew Deardorff
Director of Programs
Holly Melton
Director of Development
Meghan Storey
Director of RISE
Meet The Team
Jonathan "Griffin" Long
Consultant: IT and Special Projects
Mindy Maddux
Assistant Director of the Nonprofit Career Academy
Chris Wilson
BHP Site Supervisor
(Blue House Project)
Jessica Smith
Director of RISE Expansion
Zara Rethman
Video Production VISTA
Ashlyn Kintner
Accounting Manager
Larra Alford
Personal Development Coach
Monica Swadley
Personal Development Coach
Zach Wilson
Marketing and Youth Development Coordinator
Luke Job
BHP Construction Worker
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