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Drew Lewis Foundation

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.

Empowering Underserved Communities

$1,200+

Average Increased Monthly Household Income

102+ pt

Average Credit Score Increase

10+ years

Working Within the Local Communities

Remembering Drew Lewis.

Drew loved the outdoors and was happiest on the water at Table Rock Lake. For Drew, the lake was life at its best because it included family, friends and fun. He loved the hot sunny days and cool evening breezes accompanied by sunsets.

Drew Lewis Foundation Fairbanks

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.

Histroic Fairbanks

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.

Fairbanks Closure

Meet a Special Advocate for Our Community -

Dr. Amy Blansit. 

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Founder & CEO

Amy started it all. She and her late husband purchased the Fairbanks in 2013. Since then our fearless leader has helped grow a team of compassionate professionals focused on advocating for a brighter future.

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Director of RISE

Meghan has helped develop the RISE program and leads our RISE Fairbanks team. Her dynamic leadership skills help our coaches guide members from surviving to thriving. 

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Director of RISE Expansion

Jessica began as a VISTA and has grown with our team through her vision of expanding across Missouri and beyond. Her leadership skills have helped us advocate in Missouri and Colorado.

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Personnel Manager

Jeremy joined our team to help improve our operations and facility management. Under his leadership we have seen improved processes and team is thriving. His vision for DLF is inspiring. 

OUR TEAM

RISE Expansion Coordinator & Personal Development Coach

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Alex joins us with experience in trauma informed services and compassionate coaching to help RISE members reach their goals. She also supports our RISE Expansion efforts. 

Personal Development Coach

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Monica began in RISE and grew with our team. Through continuing education and experience, she works with our members to set and achieve their goals.

Personal Development Coach

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Shelena joined our team to help serve our RISE members. Her experience and education help our team best serve our community. 

Youth Coordinator

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Zack is a dynamic employee who leads our RISE Kids programming. As a connector in our community, he helps organize youth programming with purpose.

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Blue House Project Site Supervisor

Chris is our housing team lead and has over 20 years of experience in construction. He is a great educator for our team and has great vision for the program.

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Blue House Project Coordinator

As the demand for housing and housing solutions have grown in our community, Mike joined our team to meet these needs. Keep an eye out for our Missing Middle housing initiatives.

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Blue House Project

Construction Worker

Luke joined us with experience in insulation. He has expanded his skills and now helps us turn old houses into warm homes.

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Nathan Hart

Blue House Project Construction Worker

Nathan joins us with experience in general construction and tile work. He helps us turn dilapidated houses into warm homes. 

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Dwayne Brown

Blue House Project Coordinator

Dwayne joins us with experience in general construction. He helps us turn dilapidated houses into warm homes. 

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Development Coordinator

Michelle joins our team with a strong background in nonprofit administration, donor relations, grant writing and community engagement. With experience in donor database management, event coordination, and volunteer training, she is dedicated to supporting initiatives that strengthen communities.

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I.T. & Special Projects

The person who sits at a computer all day and keeps the business online.

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Ashlyn Kintner

Accounting Manager

Ashlyn joined our team to enhance our fiscally responsible finance practices. 

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