The Empowerment Academy (EA) has received an $85,000 grant from Truist Foundation. EA will be a long-term housing facility that provides shelter and life skills training to homeless high school students to allow them to find success and further their education.
David Boswell, an Empowerment Academy board member and local Truist Board of Advisors member, said the grant was a collaborative effort among many individuals, including: Angie Morrison, Truist market president; Tommy Thompson, local developer and Truist board of directors member; Marlo Long, Truist senior vice president, community development manager; and Calvin Barker, Truist regional president for Kentucky/Ohio.
“After touring the facility and meeting with Empowerment Academy board members, I realized just how crucial Empowerment Academy is to creating a truly vibrant Owensboro and Daviess County in which young people who typically fall through the cracks can become educated and economically mobile members of our community,” Thompson said.
Empowerment Academy Board Chair Will Mounts added, “No student should have to worry about where they’re going to sleep at night. Thanks to the generosity of Truist Foundation, we’re now one step closer to making sure they don’t have to.”
Construction of the facility is expected to be finished within 6 months of raising the remaining $450,000 needed to fund the project. The facility will have 18 bedrooms, six bathrooms, a teaching and learning kitchen, laundry rooms, dining area, library and study areas, plus a house parent suite when complete.
“Safe and stable housing is fundamental to creating better educational opportunities and outcomes for children throughout our community and helps to build stronger economic foundations for their future,” Barker said. “We are proud to lend our support to this effort which aligns with our purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities.”
The Empowerment Academy partners with local school districts to identify students who may not have access to a stable and safe place to live. The ultimate goal is to set students up with the tools they need to succeed on their journey of furthering their education and preparing them to enter the workforce.
Learn more or donate at empowermentacademy.us.
