CAHEC, a community investment organization based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Columbia, South Carolina, has completed its 2026 Youth Leadership Initiative, which delivered educational resources and summer camp experiences to youth in low-income families across its Southeast and Mid-Atlantic footprint. The initiative, announced on September 29, 2026, combined corporate donations and local partnerships to provide books, school supplies, and camp scholarships at no cost to families.
Nearly 300 youth in the YMCA of Richmond's summer camp program received age-appropriate books, essential school supplies, and learning games through a summer book fair that allowed campers to select materials based on their interests and reading levels. The book fair aimed to build at-home libraries and encourage reading beyond the classroom. Support from CAHEC community partners, including Bernard Robinson & Co., Center Street Capital Advisors, First Citizens, Harkins Foundation, Scott Insurance, Yardi, and Zeffert & Associates, made these resources possible at no cost to families.
Beyond books, the initiative sponsored 330 weeks of discounted summer camp for children from low-income families during summer 2026. CAHEC partnered with various YMCAs throughout its footprint to offer camps featuring character-development activities, literacy instruction, athletics, and, in some cases, swimming lessons. Donations from Banc of California, First Bank, North State Bank, Mountain Housing Opportunities, Taft-Mills Group, Thomas and Amanda Boothby, and Urquhart Development, along with YMCA relationships, funded these camp weeks.
Stefanie Lee, Community Relations Manager at CAHEC, said, "We're honored to support these initiatives for the youth residents living in our properties and are grateful to have the support of so many of our partners. These strategic partnerships allow us to stretch every dollar further and serve more residents than we could through CAHEC alone – it's amazing what we can do when we come together to serve!"
The Youth Leadership Initiative aligns with CAHEC's broader mission to provide housing and life-changing opportunities. By addressing summer learning loss and childcare needs, the program helps children from low-income families stay engaged and safe during summer months, potentially improving academic outcomes and reducing achievement gaps. The initiative also strengthens communities by investing in youth development, which can lead to long-term social and economic benefits. CAHEC's collaborative model demonstrates how public-private partnerships can effectively pool resources to create meaningful impact.
CAHEC invests in low-income housing tax credits, historic tax credits, new markets tax credits, and renewable energy credits, and provides loan programs, wellness and education initiatives, affordable housing development, and property management services. For more information, visit CAHEC's website.
