Drew Lewis Foundation @ The Fairbanks
Community. Restoration. Engagement.
Calendar of Events
Every Thursday evening from 5:30 - 7:30 pm, the Fairbanks offers adult education classes exness. Each week will be a different topic. For more information, please contact us or visit our page for details on the class schedules.
Every Tuesday through Thursday from 4:30 - 7:30 pm, the Fairbanks will be offering education programming for children and teens with the Boys and Girls Club and Missouri State university.
Volunteer
FOR ALL VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES, call 417.720.1890 or email thefairbanksinfo@gmail.com Sign up Today!
The fundraising events that support the Drew Lewis Foundation at the Fairbanks, serves current and future initiatives of the Fairbanks restoration project for the Grant Beach Neighborhood.
The Fairbanks holds three fundraising events per year including:
Fashion Forward
A spring fashion show and day of wellness in partnership with the Henderson and Sertoma Units of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Springfield and Missouri State University exness trading - Service Learning Department.
Sounds in the Garden
An all day summer music concert in cooperation with Ozarks Food Harvest (OFH), Springfield Community Gardens (SCG), and Springfield Urban Agricultural Coalition (SUAC).
Freaky Fairbanks Haunted Tours
A fall haunted tour at the Fairbanks in collaboration with the Henderson and Sertoma Units of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Springfield and Missouri State University.
What these three benefits support in the Grant Beach Neighborhood through the Fairbanks Community Resource Center:
The Grant Beach Neighborhood is in need of a Community Resource Center that will help improve the socio-economic status of the residents in the community. The neighborhood is spread out over census tracts 6 and 18. Statistics from the 2008 to 2012 American Community Survey 5-Year estimates that 37.6% of families in census tract 6 and 22.4% in census tract 18 were in poverty in the last 12 months, compared to 17.3% of all families in Springfield, MO. 56.8% of households in census tract 6 and 46.3% in census tract 18 make less than $24,999 exness trade. Based on these income levels and the assumption that residents would need to rent a 2-bedroom apartment and/or house, these individuals do not make enough money to afford fair market rent, as set by the Center for Housing Policy’s “Paycheck to Paycheck” guidelines. This leaves families living in substandard housing that can often have health issues and/or high utility rates. The median income for census tract 6 is $23,375 and census tract 18 is $26,583 compared to the median household income of Springfield at $33,379. According to the 2013-2014 annual report from Springfield Public Schools, 89.2% of students attending Weaver Elementary in Grant Beach, qualify for free lunch and 4% for reduced lunch rates.
Several local reports justify the need for the Fairbanks Community Resource Center. Phase two of the 2014-2023 Strategic Plan for the Every Child Promise outlines the need to “Increase and expand a network of community food cooperatives, community gardens, and community kitchens to increase healthy food access, affordability, and more efficient use of WIC and SNAP.” The Fairbanks meets that need by providing a community kitchen, access to community gardens, and a marketplace for produce.
The issue of poverty has been highlighted in multiple reports. The Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice shows an increase in the number of households below the poverty line from 9.8% in 2000 to 21.8% in 2010. The 2013 Community Focus Report highlights poverty as a red flag for the community. The Focus Report also flagged the issue of transportation funding. A decrease in the funding for new buses and other transportation options is going to increase the need for community based hubs like Fairbanks because it provides a centralized location where individuals in the community can walk to receive services, training, and a place to generate revenue through the Fairbanks Market.