CAHEC Staff Contribute Over 800 Volunteer Hours to Community Organizations in 2025

CAHEC staff have completed more than 800 hours of community service so far in 2025 through the organization's Team Outreach program, which requires each employee to volunteer 22 hours annually at local nonprofits. This longstanding initiative, operating for nearly a decade, reflects CAHEC's commitment to creating positive and lasting change in communities through direct engagement and support of organizations serving vulnerable populations.

The volunteer efforts span multiple critical service areas, including food security, financial literacy, and support for medically vulnerable individuals. Staff regularly assist The Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, which provides daily nourishment, disaster supplies, and educational programming for families. Another frequent partner is North Raleigh Ministries, focusing on financial literacy and food assistance for community members in crisis.

Additional organizations benefiting from CAHEC's volunteer program include Dress for Success of the Triangle, which empowers women toward economic independence through support networks and resources, and Made4Me, creating personalized adaptations from industrial cardboard for children with special needs at no cost to families. Staff also volunteer with NC Senior Games and The Flower Shuttle, which recycles flowers for individuals living with sickness, terminal illness, poverty, and disabilities who typically don't receive floral arrangements.

This year, CAHEC staff expanded their outreach by writing notes for Amy's Ray of Sunshine, a local nonprofit that sends cards to patients undergoing bone marrow transplants. Community Relations Manager Stefanie Lee emphasized that volunteerism represents a core organizational value, stating that supporting other nonprofits strengthens both the communities served and the CAHEC team itself.

The Team Outreach program enables employees to connect outside their daily roles while collectively impacting their community, serving as a meaningful way to live out CAHEC's mission while investing in both community and team development. As a community development organization, CAHEC strengthens communities through affordable housing and supportive service initiatives across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, engaging in diverse areas including low-income housing tax credits, historic tax credits, new markets tax credits, and renewable energy credits.