ECTC, FSH kick off $1.5 million Home for Hope capital campaign
Published on Aug 11, 2023
Elizabethtown Community and Technical College (ECTC) and Family Scholar House (FSH) today announced the public launch of the Home for Hope campaign to build on-campus housing for student parents. The goal of the campaign is to remove barriers to education.
“This is an exciting time for ECTC,” said ECTC President Dr. Juston Pate. “Family Scholar House already has helped us change the lives of so many of our students for the better, and this innovative step forward will create new cycles of success for generations to come. Our main goal is always to help our students succeed, and this is one more way we can do that.”
Housing and transportation insecurity can be huge roadblocks for students, Pate said, but having access to on-campus housing will mitigate both of those issues.
“We know that 49 percent of ECTC students receiving Family Scholar House services face housing insecurity,” said Cathe Dykstra, FSH Chief Possibility Officer, President & CEO. “We’re thrilled to join the college in offering a real solution to these student parents so they can focus less on where they will live and more on completing their education and providing a better life for their families.”
The 48-unit Family Scholar House facility will be built on ECTC’s campus adjacent to the James S. Owen Building. It will feature two- and three-bedroom apartments, technology and connectivity, a playground, and a family services building with necessary programmatic space and resources. The total cost of the project is $14.8 million and $1,589,560 already has been raised, plus $550,000 invested by ECTC and $11.17 million covered through vouchers and federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits awarded through Kentucky Housing Corporation. The campaign will need to raise $1,495,440 to complete the project.
“With the community’s help, we can give student parents the peace of mind that comes with having a place to call home,” said ECTC Chief Institutional Advancement Officer and ECTC Foundation Executive Director Dr. Megan Stith. “We would like to see the entire community come together to support this project in whatever capacity possible, whether that takes the form of a monetary donation, volunteering with Family Scholar House to see firsthand the good they do, or sharing information about Home for Hope with friends and family.”
Home for Hope Campaign Chair Jennifer Swope is excited to see how on-campus housing will provide tangible results to student parents and their families.
“Family Scholar House is like nothing I’ve seen in the community before,” she said. “Together with ECTC they offer a holistic approach to creating real, enduring change. The Home for Hope campaign is a powerful way to provide students the building blocks to a better life.”
In the last fiscal year, FSH has provided nearly 3,000 services to more than 700 ECTC students, including fuel cards and food and benefit assistance. But, according to ECTC nursing student and FSH participant Tera New, having someone to talk to is one of the greatest services that FSH provides.
“Just knowing I have someone behind me who actually cares, who provides emotional support, has definitely changed my life and I’m grateful,” she said.
New, a mother of three boys ages 3 to 6, spoke at the announcement event. She described what FSH has meant to her during her educational journey.
“I feel like there were some obstacles that would have been impossible for me to overcome, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without Family Scholar House,” she said. “I’m happy to share my story because it shows the real affect that the organization can have on real people. This housing opportunity will open a lot of doors for future college students.”
The announcement concluded with a food distribution for FSH participants. Home for Hope committee members and ECTC Foundation board members helped distribute the items.
Construction on the housing facility is set to begin in spring 2024, with plans to open in early 2025. Priority will be given to student parents pursuing high-demand careers in healthcare and advanced manufacturing.
To support the campaign, visit ectc.us/online-giving and select Family Scholar House Home for Hope Campaign, or contact Dr. Megan Stith at 270-706-8721 or megan.stith@kctcs.edu.
