Just about two months ago, in my last blog, I teased a big announcement related to our capital improvements efforts at The Bungalows. Here it is:
On March 11, DHC’s Board of Directors unanimously approved the replacement of water heaters in every Bungalows unit this spring.
Like every bit of progress this organization has ever made on behalf of affordable housing in Davidson, this enormous step forward speaks to the “coalition” part of our name. The project underwriting we’ve brought together reflects the value we place on partnering. In short, we believe that building authentically good relationships is at the heart of serving the public good:
- Corporate philanthropy—in this case from Publix Super Market Charities, whose founder George Jenkins, shared DHC’s conviction that a house provides its inhabitants much more than shelter. The $7,500 grant we received in December 2025 in support of our Bungalows Preservation Project is a first collaboration between us, and we are delighted to join the array of affordable housing nonprofits the organization supports in the Southeast.
- Local faith community missions work—in this case from the Davidson College Presbyterian Church congregation, whose generous $175,000 capital grant in 2025 catalyzed the Bungalows roof replacement project completed in May. Careful management of the proceeds now enables us to stretch the grant to cover a portion of the water heater project also. Our nearly three decades-long partnership with DCPC inspires us every day to steward all of the resources we’re offered with rigor and care so that we maximize the opportunities each gift leverages.
- Local civic organizations—in this case the Davidson-Huntersville Lions Club, which made DHC the beneficiary of its annual golf tournament in 2025. The ensuing $10,000 gift we received from the group came with no strings, no conditions, and we decided to dedicate it in part to the Bungalows Preservation project. We think this choice honors the Lions’ focus on bringing communities together in service to make the world around us better. And speaking of maximizing opportunities—stay tuned for another announcement later this spring regarding how we’ll use the balance of this gift and what it will help us leverage!
- Private citizens who give what they can, when they can—in this case, donors to our 2025 Raise The Roof campaign, the proceeds from which have allowed us to fund individual system replacements as they fail, even as we continued to assemble funds for a more comprehensive project. When four anonymous Davidsonians, who’ve long supported DHC’s affordable housing efforts, offered major gifts, they pushed funding for the water heater project over the finish line.
Like a trickle of water making ripples in a pond, these funding partners have set off a cascade of new partnership opportunities, beginning with our plumbing vendor, locally-owned Morris-Jenkins. The company is offering us its premier water heaters and warranty-backed installation services at a 10% discount. Our initial experiences with the company harken back to the personalized, professional, and supportive relationship we built last May with our roofer, Elite Roof and Solar. We’re confident that the folks at Morris-Jenkins not only will deliver a quality project, but also that they’ll treat DHC residents as valued customers throughout the process.
At the heart of it all is the partnership we are committed to building and maintaining with the people who rent or share ownership with DHC. It’s not always smooth sailing—no partnership is if both parties are true to themselves and honest with each other in their feedback. We seek to be authentic in our interactions with all of our partners, including our residents. That’s why we worked with Morris-Jenkins supervisors to create a pre-installation informational email to help our residents prepare a week in advance of the project launch. We wanted everyone to understand the scope and scheduling and have time to ask the questions necessary to make the installations a complete success.
Working in the public eye is a tightrope walk. The inevitable slips and stumbles get played out in a full arena. When the people in the seats are ushered in as spectators, it’s no wonder they’re quick to call out the weaknesses they see in a performance they don’t view as their own. But when everyone who shows up is welcomed as integral to the quality of the experience and the outcome, spectators become teammates. It’s human nature. What you feel a part of determines whether you roll up your sleeves and dive in or remain the unforgiving critic and competitor.
I’m proud to be part of a coalition that neither waits around to see who emerges as the loudest voice, nor looks for easy answers that ignore the hard questions. Instead, we pull people and institutions into an orbit around our community’s aspirations. The effort takes time, requires some perseverance, and seeks to honor the dignity of all of our neighbors. We focus on what each of us can offer to the cause because we start from the premise that each of us acts out of shared interest for the public good. In our arena, everyone who wants to play a role is essential. No one gets sidelined.
There’s always room for more of you . . . Choose to be a part of our Coalition.