Local nonprofit helps provide much-need housing for deaf, blind, deafblind
The Daniel Foundation of Alabama — a non-profit located on Office Park Drive in Mountain Brook — recently helped fund the construction of two additional homes at Union Village in Talladega, which provides safe, affordable and supportive housing for low-income people who are deaf, blind or deaf-blind.
The Daniel Foundation and the Independent Presbyterian Church Foundation, which is based in Birmingham, donated the money for the new homes to the Presbyterian Home for Children, according to a PHFC news release.
The PHFC has partnered with the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind since 2017 to operate Union Village on the AIDB campus.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has made a critical need for safe and affordable housing for this vulnerable population even more urgent,” PHFC President and CEO Doug Marshall said in the release.
“Thirty-two percent of Alabamians have trouble finding rental housing they can afford, leaving many homeless or living in squalor,” said Jack Hawkins, a trustee of the Daniel Foundation board.
Union Village “addresses a critical need” to provide affordable, quality housing designed to serve deaf and blind people in Alabama, Hawkins said.
In addition, rental income from Union Village supports programs at the PHFC that serve and care for at-risk teenage girls, homeless children and women, and families in crisis from across Alabama.
“We are excited to partner with these organizations in support of Union Village,” Maria Kennedy, Daniel Foundation executive director, told Alabama News Center. “Our mission focuses on improving quality of life and meeting basic needs. It’s heartwarming for us to know that we are part of an effort to offer houses that are affordable and designed to meet the specific needs of blind, deaf and deaf-blind people. It’s a win-win for all four organizations.”
“Union Village is one of the few supportive housing communities for individuals who are deaf, blind or deaf-blind in the United States,” said Donte Little, director, AIDB Talladega Regional Center.
Union Village is a three-phase project, Marshall said. The first phase was completed in 2017 and serves 28 residents.
Phase 2 will eventually offer 16 tiny homes — two 475-square-foot homes per duplex — that provide special accommodations and accessibility.
The first two homes have been occupied since September 2019. The second two houses — paid for by Daniel Foundation and the IPC Foundation — are under construction and set to be completed in September.
Shaded by large oak and pecan trees, the community will eventually include walkways, gardens and picnic areas, making it easy for residents to meet and enjoy the outdoors, according to Alabama News Center.
“It’s pretty amazing that the Lord has put these two very different institutions — PHFC and AIDB — side by side, and now we’re working with two more nonprofits — the Daniel Foundation and IPC Foundation — on something so wonderful,” Marshall said. “This village gives these residents a chance to be independent and all they can be. Together, we’re changing lives.”
Marshall said he is looking forward to the continued expansion of the village.
The Daniel Foundation of Alabama’s mission is to strengthen communities within Alabama and improve the quality of life for citizens from all regions of Alabama. The foundation supports effective organizations that are focused on building a healthy and well-educated population, living in a vibrant community.
AIDB is the nation’s most comprehensive education, rehabilitation and employment system serving individuals of all ages who are deaf, blind, deaf-blind, multi-disabled and their families.