East Lake Foundation
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Mission Statement
The mission of the East Lake Foundation (ELF) is to collaborate with The Villages of East Lake residents, Charles R. Drew Charter School families, and other key services partners to ensure that every member of our community has equitable access to the resources, tools and supports needed to thrive.
About This Cause
The East Lake Foundation (ELF) was established in 1995 to serve as the local nonprofit leading revitalization of the East Lake neighborhood, whose core was comprised of violent, dilapidated public housing. ELF has collaborated with neighborhood partners to develop and implement a community strategy and to raise financial and volunteer resources that support ongoing revitalization. Working with residents and stakeholders, ELF adopted a plan leading to construction in the 1990s of 542 units of affordable, mixed-income rental housing at The Villages of East Lake (VOEL). Education became a focus as ELF replaced the failing school with Drew Charter School. Its rich and academically challenging curriculum focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM), with a solid foundation in literacy. Instruction is delivered through Project-Based Learning, which engages students in collaborative work to find solutions to real world problems. ELF also supports a system of high-quality education opportunities for children from cradle to college, including early learning centers, college scholarships, and programs at Drew Charter School such as college-career readiness, arts enrichment, and the After School Program. ELF’s Resident & Community Support Program helps VOEL residents increase their economic stability through job readiness, employer connections and financial literacy training. ELF also improves wellness in East Lake by supporting these programs: East Lake Healthy Connections, which addresses access to care through health care navigation, health coaching and linkage to resources; Start:ME East Lake that offers entrepreneurship training, mentoring and early-stage grants for micro-entrepreneurs in East Lake and Kirkwood; and The First Tee® of Metro Atlanta that provides training in golf and life skills for children and youth. ELF serves zip codes 30317 and 30316, primarily in Atlanta’s East Lake and Kirkwood neighborhoods. ELF specifically targets VOEL residents, children and families served by Drew Charter School and East Lake’s early education centers, and other economically disadvantaged residents. More than half of VOEL residences are permanently reserved for low-income families. Consistent coordination, partner commitments and a holistic approach deepen ELF’s long-term impact. Over almost 30 years, the results of ELF’s community revitalization work have been impressive, e.g., a 91% reduction in total crime and 99% reduction in violent crime; 100% of the eligible adults living in VOEL are currently compliant with work requirement standards; the average income of VOEL public housing residents has increased three-fold; and the neighborhood school moved from bottom-ranked elementary school in the city system to a school that is now rated in Atlanta’s top schools and has eliminated achievement gaps between socio-economic subgroups. ELF’s recent accomplishments are led by the completion of East Lake’s cradle-to-college education pipeline from ages birth through 12th grade, and the achievements of Drew Charter’s graduating seniors who were supported by activities of the College & Career Readiness program. Since 2017, the senior classes that have graduated from Drew Charter School have achieved remarkable results. For example, in the Class of 2019 that was predominantly economically disadvantaged, 97% of the class graduated on time; 96% were accepted to at least one college; 90% participated in an advanced curriculum option; and the graduates earned an average ACT score of 21 and were offered scholarships valued at more than $12 million. We are also proud that the Georgia Department of Education has recognized Drew Charter Elementary and Junior Academies as official STEAM Schools for providing high quality educational opportunities in STEAM. From 2020 through 2022, ELF responded to the economic impact of COVID-19 by launching the East Lake COVID-19 Relief Fund that has provided rent/utility assistance, food, masks and mental health services to families experiencing financial challenges due to the pandemic. In housing, a VOEL expansion was completed in 2020, adding 108 units of critically needed affordable rental housing, with 70% reserved for economically disadvantaged families through tax credit subsidies. ELF has launched a new collaboration with the Atlanta Land Trust to build 40 permanently affordable townhomes in East Lake, with priority for current East Lake residents. It will help ensure that the neighborhood is equitable, accessible and affordable for low-to-moderate income residents. ELF also serves as a national community revitalization model through our sister organization Purpose Built Communities, which helps leaders in neighborhoods of concentrated poverty apply the East Lake model nationally.