NEWS, REAL. NEW,
Jennifer: WELCOME TO OZARKS
TONIGHT.
IN THIS EDITION WE ARE TALKING
AREAS IN SPRINGFIELD.
TO TALK TO US IS AMY
BLANCHETTE, THE WOMAN BEHIND
THE DREW LEWIS FOUNDATION.
AMY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
BEING HERE.
YOU FOR INVITING ME.
I WANT TO GET STARTED WITH
THE DREW LEWIS FOUNDATION
NORTHWEST PROJECT IS ONE YOU
ARE WORKING ON PUTTING LET'S
NOT THERE WITH THE DREW LEWIS
FOUNDATION, TO ME HOW THIS GOT
STARTED.
I MOVED INTO GRANT BEACH
OVER 10 YEARS AGO AND LIVING
THERE I LOVED THE OLD HOMES AND
HISTORIC NATURE OF IT.
BUT I ALSO BEGAN TO REALLY
LEARN ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER
THINGS THAT WERE GROWING, AS
FAR AS CRIME, AND PROPERTIES,
AND WHAT THAT MEANS.
AFTER LIVING THERE FOR SEVERAL
YEARS, I ALSO NOTICED THAT THE
SCHOOLS OF FAIRBANKS HAD
KILLED, AND EVEN THOUGH I HAD A
HOUSE THAT I OWNED, I
MAINTAINED THERE'S A RENTAL.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS MY RENTAL
NOT NECESSARILY SECURE BECAUSE
PEOPLE WERE CONCERNED WITH WHAT
WAS HAPPENING WITH ILLICIT
PROSTITUTION AND DRUGS MOVING I
MAINTAINED THERE'S A RENTAL.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS MY RENTAL
NOT NECESSARILY SECURE BECAUSE
PEOPLE WERE CONCERNED WITH WHAT
WAS HAPPENING WITH ILLICIT
PROSTITUTION AND DRUGS MOVING
THROUGH THIS OLD ABANDONED
SCHOOL.
SO I HAD CALLED TO FIGURE OUT
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR IT, WHO
ENDED UP PERCPURCHASING IT.
COMMITTEE DEVELOPMENT.
THE PROGRAMS WE DO ARE AMROMING
SPRINGFIELD.
WE HAVE A LOT OF NONPROFITS BUT
THEY ARE SPREAD OUT ACROSS
TOWN.
WHEN YOU LIVE IN NORTH
SPRINGFIELD THEN YOU HAVE TO GO
TO EACH LOCATION IT CAN BECOME
DIFFICULT TO GO SO I BRINGING
THE PROGRAM TO WHERE FAMILIES
LIVED AND BY BEING PART OF A
GREAT COMMUNITY THAT ALREADY
EXISTED IN GRANT BEACH, THE
FOUNDATION HAS BEEN ABLE TO
BRING PROGRA INT AND RESOURCES
THAT ARE MOVING FAMILIES OUT OF
POVERTY AND REALLY HELPING
THINGS LIKE CREDIT SCORES AND
OTHER THINGS THAT CREATE A
STABLE NEIGHBORHOOD.
Jennifer: YOU MENTIONED
DREW, AND FOR PEOPLE AT HOME,
THAT IS WHO THE FOUNDATION IS
NAMED AFTER, DREW LEWIS, YOUR
HUSBAND.
,, YES AND DREW WAS ALSO IN
REAL ESTATE.
HE WAS BORN AND RAISED IN
SPRINGFIELD, WAS EVERYONE'S
BEST FRIEND.
IF YOU EVER MET HIM YOU WERE IN
A CIRCLE SO BY NAMING THE
BUILDING AND FOUNDATION AFTER
HIM, IT REALLY EMBODIES WHO HE
WAS, AND HIS BELOVED
SPRINGFIELD.
HE LOVED.
Brea:
HOW CAN FAMILIES BECOME A
PART OF IT.
THE PROJECT WORKS AND HOW
DO WE BUILD PERSONAL AND
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
TWO WAYS TO MOVE INTO BETTER
SELF-SUFFICIENCY IS THROUGH
EDUCATION ENT.
TO REALLY WORK WITH PROGRAMS
ALREADY EXISTING IN
SPRINGFIELD, REMOVES WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT FROM CAREER CENTERS
TO OTHER PROGRAMS OUT THERE,
MENTOR INDIVIDNG ILS AND TO
EDUCATION.
WORKING WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE
THEY KNOW RESOURCES THAT ARE
OUT THERE.
INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE QUALIFIED
FOR SNAP, THERE ARE A LOT OF
PROGRAMS THAT PUT THEM INTO THE
AREAS THAT HAVE JOB OPENINGS
AND ARE NOT THE ENTRY-LEVEL.
WAGE PROBLEM AND SO WE REALLY
PROMOTE THE COMPANIES THAT ARE
WILLING TO PAY THE VISUALS
MORE.
WE ALSO HAVE WORK
INTERPRETATION.
THAT'S ANOTHER BIG ISSUE FOR
SPRINGFIELD.
4 HOURS SIDES OF CITY, WE DO
HAVE A GOOD REPUTATION SYSTEM
BUT WE ARE SO SPREAD OUT IT
MIGHT TIN
SOMEWHERE.
EMPOWER INDIVIDUAL TO TAKE THE
STEPS NECESSARY.
ONE OF THE YOUNG WOMEN WHO
WORKED WITH US JUST LAST WEEK
SAID, I NEVER SAW MYSELF AS A
COLLEGE STUDENT.
BECAUSE MY MOM DIDN'T GO, AND
MY SISTERS, SO COLLEGE WAS-
OT
THE THING FOR MY FAMILY.
AND WE GOT HERE AND ROLLED AND
SHE IS DOING A YEAR OF CALLHOOL
ALREADY.
HELPING SOMEONE SAY THE STUFF
YEARS AGO AND NOW YOU'RE
LOOKING AT ALL OF THESE GREAT
PRNOW YECTS AND YOUPSHE SEEING THE
RESULTS.WHAT IS THAT LIKE FOR
YOU TO LOOK AT A DREAM THAT YOU
ONCE HAD WITH DREW AND WERE
ABLE TO SAY, I PURCHASED THE
SCHOOL, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?
NOW YOU'RE LOOKING AT ONE OF
NORTHWEST PRNOW YECT IS COMING TO
DO FOR THE COMMUNITY AND NOW
FAIRBANKS GETTING READY TO OPEN
DAY.
AND SO YOU FORGET LIK
FOLLOWED IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
FOR ME IT'S WHAT I DO EVERY
DAY.
AND SO YOU FORGET LIKE WHAT IT
WAS 6 YEARS AGO, AND YOU GET A
PICTURE OF THE DESTROYED
BUILDING WITH BOYS ON THE
WINDOWS.
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE'S 30
KIDS IN DAYCARE AND ARKFITCHEN
THAT'S NEARLY 24/7.
WE ARE BUSTING AT THE SEAMS
WITH STAFF BECAUSE WE HAVE SO
MUCH COLLABORATION AND PEOPLE
RENTING.
IT HAS MADE ME SLOW DOWN.
EXPLAINING ALL THE PARTS, WE
WALKED INTO THE GYM AND SHE
STARTED LUMPING AROUND AND
MAKING NOISE AND STOPPED AND
TURNED.
SHE'S A SCHOOBUT
ACHER SO THE
ECHO OF THE GYASIWAS KIND OF FUN
FOR HER.
SHE SAID, DID YOU EVER JUST
STOP AND REALIZE WHAT THIS IS?
AND IT WAS JUST SUCH A FUN
JOYFUL FREE MOMENT THAT IT
DOES, IT DOES I DONONE RKFNOW, I
DO-
OT DO IT ENOUGH TO STOP AND
REALIZE WHAT'S HAPPENING.
SO, YEAH, WHEN PEOPLE ASK ABOUT
IT, IT'S EMOTIONAL, IT'S
EMPOWERING.
IS AWESOME THAT PEOPLE WANT TO
REPLICATE IT, WHICH IS
EXTREMELYRKFIND OF FLATTERING
AND SHOWS YOU THAT WHAT YOU'VE
DONE ME SOMETHING AND IS
CHANGING OTHERS.
Je MOifer: ANNA, THANK YOU
SO MUCH.
LOSTAING FOR INDIVIDUALS TO COME
IN, JOIN US FOR DINNER.
WE'VE GOT A CHILDREN'S PROGRAM
WHERE THEY ALL NEED SPEC
VERY BLESSED TO HAVE NOT HAD TO
GO THROUGH AND HOW HARD THEY
ARE WORKING, AND WHAT IT MEANS
TO MAKE A STATEMENT ABOUT A BIG