The Harold Edelstein Foundation and Bel Air Church helped Habitat for Humanity SF/SCV deliver turkeys and Thanksgiving meals to Habitat low-income families in need. Thanksgiving dinners included turkey and dry goods. Harold’s Help Desk and Bel Air Church wanted to ensure that no Habitat family missed a nutritionally sound and a happy Thanksgiving.
This is a service of Habitat for Humanity SF/SCV’s enriched neighborhood model. Our enriched neighborhood model provides no-cost social and educational services to the neighborhoods. These services include: Health Information, Dental Hygiene, Teen Empowerment and Children’s Programs such as tutoring, and are unique to our Habitat for Humanity affiliate. Other programs like home ownership and repair and money management are also provided.
To be successful, this type of housing must include a supportive environment that provides training, and a neighborhood culture that encourages self-sufficiency. This vital link is all too often missing in housing programs. That is why we connect our families with other social service agencies to bring services right into housing neighborhoods.
This Enriched Neighborhood model relies on the partnership of other local and regional non-profits, caring corporations and small businesses to provide support to our families 6 months before and 12 months after moving into their new homes.
Although the numerous programs offered to the participants are exciting, what really counts are the results they produce. That is why we are thrilled to report the results of the Pacoima community are remarkable:
- In the city of Pacoima, where the average drop-out rate is 51%, children who grow up in a Habitat Enriched Neighborhood have over 99% graduation rates.
- Grade point averages among Habitat families are above 3.1.
- The average time Habitat homeowners have been at their current jobs is 7.18 years.
- Despite current trends, there have been no foreclosures among the over 214 families served.
- Over 10% of parents in Habitat households have returned to school for a degree or certificated program to advance employment.