30 Years of Delivering for Communities

Impact Story

The Weavers

In response to the devastating Eastern Kentucky Floods in 2022, Fahe lead the creation of Housing Can’t Wait, alongside several Fahe Members and longstanding housing partners, to address the need for immediate and permanent single-family housing solutions for flood survivors. Arnold and Virginia Weaver of Whitesburg, Kentucky were among the first families served by Housing Can’t Wait. They lost their home and nearly their lives on the morning of the flood. “We were still in bed and would have probably gotten up in thirty minutes, an hour at most,” said Arnold Weaver. “It might have been too late if we waited that long.” The Weavers left their home as the flooding began and watched as the rising waters claimed their house. They were later rescued via helicopter. During the subsequent months, they rented a house from a friend who lived on higher ground, all the while contemplating if they would have to leave their community because of the extensive damage to their home.

However, thanks to the efforts of Housing Can’t Wait and Fahe Member HOMES, the Weavers were able to use their FEMA award, insurance, and other sources of funding to purchase a new home built by HOMES out of the flood plain and stay in Whitesburg among their friends and family. “We know we are two of the most blessed people in the world, but we also feel guilty that other people are living campers and tents,” said Virginia Weaver. “We wonder why we got the opportunity to have a house. Other people need an opportunity to do that the same as we did.” Fahe continues to partner with Team Kentucky, Governor Beshear’s office, and other housing partners to ensure Eastern Kentucky communities are rebuilt to be strong and resilient. Housing Can’t Wait partners focused on flood recovery have built 88 new homes and performed major rehabilitation on 305 homes since 2022.

Impact Story

Empowering Indigenous Communities

Indigenous communities often shoulder a disproportionate burden when it comes to the impacts of climate change and are also one of the first groups to feel the effects of a changing climate. While they only make up a small percentage of the US population and a comparatively small contribution of total planet-warming emissions, Indigenous communities have long been at the forefront of the clean energy transition and efforts to implement climate solutions.

For the Lumbee Regional Development Association (LRDA) – a private nonprofit in Pembroke, North Carolina, founded by tribal leaders seeking to bring much-needed social, educational, and economic services to Lumbee members – going solar will deliver meaningful cost savings that will be reinvested into their community in the form of education and workforce development programs. In partnership with Eagle Solar and Light, Sunwealth developed solar on top of LRDA’s roof, which is the first solar installation on a building associated with a state recognized tribe in North Carolina. This installation will reduce 1,826 tons of carbon over its lifetime, save $51,000 in lifetime energy, and generate 76 kW of clean power.

Impact Story

Crescent Court Apartments: Emily’s Story

In January 2023, Emily began working as an On-Call Associate for Central City Staffing. She is a graduate of CCC’s Letty Owings and she lives with her one-year-old daughter, Ellie, at Crescent Court Apartments, an affordable development co-owned by CCC and Related Northwest. At nineteen weeks pregnant, homeless, and still in her addiction Emily entered Letty Owings. “I was super scared,” she recalled, “I had to be dragged by my ear in there, but...I had to realize there’s a method to their madness, and just accept the help.” Today, she is completing coursework to become a Certified Recovery Mentor and is interested becoming a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor with the desire to, “give back to the community that got me to where I’m at.”

Emily feels supported by CCC’s team at Crescent Court. “Katie Stewart is amazing. She has helped me with resources. If I’m feeling overwhelmed or stressed, sometimes I just take Ellie for a walk down there and go see Katie because she loves playing with her.” She also called for an expansion of Letty Owings saying, “There are so many more moms that are out there who need that support and need the opportunity. Letty is great. They definitely fight for you.” Emily summarized CCC as, “the hand that’s held me and got me to a place of stability, safety, support. I can’t even express how grateful I am.”

Impact Story

Bogdan Moga’s tailoring business

As a child growing up in the small Romanian city of Alba Iulia, Bogdan Moga dreamed of being his own boss rather than depending on someone else for his livelihood. “I did not want the 15th of the month to mean a payday for me,” he said.

In 2014, Moga took a risk and opened a small, family-run tailoring business. To be truly competitive, he knew that he had to be more efficient than other tailors. Like most new entrepreneurs, Moga needed to make capital investments, but he did not have the financing at the time. He applied to a start-up contest created by Vitas Romania, called the Declaration of Independence Competition.

The competition funds original and innovative start-up ideas, including Moga’s tailoring shop, which uniquely specializes in protective equipment. With the contest award, the equivalent of about $2,300, Moga purchased three cars that doubled the productivity of his workshop. He has also purchased a machine that cuts material more efficiently, a professional ironing station, and a powerful sewing machine that handles the work of 4-5 people.

Moga’s start-up now has 10 permanent clients, providing the necessary income to grow and maintain the business. He aims to double the number of customers and increase profits, as well as making new investments in equipment, hiring another person to help distribute the workload and expanding into other market segments.

“The contest, named Declaration of Independence, gave me above all the support I needed. It helped me to start every workday with a lot of confidence,” Moga said.

Impact Story

Soléco Energy

Soléco Energy is a women-led business driving an equitable renewable energy transition in Jamaica by fostering women’s employment, leadership, and inclusion across the value chain of solar generation projects. The company develops and finances solar photovoltaic distributed generation projects for commercial and industrial clients through long-term solar lease agreements. Soléco Energy recently completed an award-winning 2MW project across four sites for Caribbean Broilers, a poultry processing company in Jamaica. With a strong pipeline of projects, the company is expanding to other Caribbean countries such as the Bahamas and Barbados.

Deetken Impact provided tailored technical assistance to the Soléco Energy team to develop a solar panel assembly and installation training program for women in the surrounding communities. In addition, the technical assistance helped the team complete the UN’s Women’s Empowerment Principles tool, develop a sexual harassment policy, and train team members to address gender gaps and opportunities in the renewable energy sector. As a result of the program, Soléco Energy implemented policies and practices to ensure an inclusive and safe workplace at project sites that apply to contractors across the value chain. Additionally, Soléco Energy expanded employment and career opportunities for women in their communities, and increased the company’s investability by implementing initiatives that directly respond to the gender-related milestones set by one of their lenders, IDB Invest. The milestones included concrete targets regarding women’s employment, career development, training, as well as the implementation of policies and procedures across the value chain to ensure inclusive working conditions. Read more about Soléco Energy’s work to advance gender equity in the Renewable Energy Sector.

Photo credit: Soléco Energy Limited