NEWS

Holidays for Hope and Housing is an annual tradition in Davidson.

Holidays for Hope and Housing, Saturday, December 13, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

The Davidson-Huntersville Lions Club presented Davidson Housing Coalition (DHC) with a check for $10,000 this past Monday morning, proceeds of which came from the group’s Russell B Knox Memorial Golf Tournament held on a chilly November morning. 87 golfers turned out for the event, which also attracted 25 sponsors from an array of area businesses.

“We’re so honored to have been chosen as the beneficiary for this year’s tournament,” said Connie Wessner, DHC’s executive director. “Mayor Knox’s memory is dear to us as an organization—it was a task force he convened that led to our founding in 1997. His interest in and support for citizen-driven affordable housing initiatives was the spark that launched The Bungalows and so much of the work that we’ve pursued since then.”

Accepting the check alongside DHC Board President Libby Cable, DHC’s treasurer (former mayor) John Woods, and DHC Board member Vanessa Victor, Wessner thanked golf tournament chair Mickey Pettus, club President Kevin Davis, and their fellow Lions. “Your generosity will help us continue to move forward with key updates at The Bungalows, our very first affordable rental community,” she said, referencing the intensive capital improvements project that have been underway since 2024 to prepare the homes inside and out for another generation of service.

Connie Wessner, DHC Executive Director, receives check from Micky Pettus, Chair of the Davidson Lions Club Golf Tournament. They are accompanied by DHC board members and members of the Lions Club

“We’re delighted with the turnout we had from golfers on what was a very cold day and grateful to the many sponsors who make the tournament possible,” said Pettus. “Lion Russell Knox contributed so much over the course of his life to this community, and we feel privileged to have held another successful event in his memory.”

The Lions Club gift ranks among the single largest gifts received this year by DHC and arrives just as the organization’s Holidays for Hope and Housing campaign begins to hit its seasonal stride in neighborhoods in and around Davidson. Each year, DHC teams with neighborhood leaders for the group’s single largest fundraising effort. On Saturday evening, December 13 sidewalks throughout Davidson will glow with the light from luminarias lit by local residents to show support for DHC’s affordable housing initiatives. The group is accepting online orders on its Website, now through December 10.

“It really is breathtaking to take a drive through Davidson on that evening to see how our community turns out in force for this event,” said Cable. “We are hoping to see nearly 20,000 candles lit this year. If you’re not sure your neighborhood participates, just reach out to us.” Wessner added that every year new streets and neighbors join the celebration.

The Davidson Housing Coalition (DHC) invites the community to participate in its annual “Holiday for Hope and Housing” Luminaria Fundraiser on Saturday, December 13 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Many neighborhoods choose to combine this with a holiday celebration with treats and music.

A winter tradition for more than 25 years, the Holidays for Hope and Housing Luminaria Fundraiser transforms Davidson’s sidewalks into flickering paths of holiday warmth and light. DHC’s celebration brings the whole community together to share our common belief that Davidson’s doors should be kept open for everyone who wants to call it home.

Neighborhoods throughout Davidson are captained by DHC volunteers who distribute information about the event and order forms. If you have not been contacted by a neighborhood captain, please visit our website to participate. You are also welcome to reach out to the office before that date to volunteer as a captain for your neighborhood. Once ordered, luminaria kits will be dropped off by captains at each participating home the week of December 8. Simply set up your luminarias along the front walk of your home, and light them at 6 p.m. on Saturday, December 13.

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Davidson Housing Coalition is a North Carolina, 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation with a mission to preserve and create affordable housing options and to prepare families and individuals for financial stability and home ownership. Founded in 1997, DHC has created 60 affordable rental units and 14 land-lease home ownership opportunities for people who earn less than 80% of area median income.

DHC works with our friends and neighbors in the larger community to preserve and create attractive, safe, affordable housing that reflects our town's shared civic values. We support Davidson’s commitment to keeping its doors open to people of all income levels, and fully believe that the array of talents, experiences, and viewpoints our residents offer make Davidson a better place to live. We believe that income need not become the primary determinant of the choice to live in Davidson. We support initiatives that promote equity and increase financial stability across economic lines. We focus our work primarily on:

• creating a mix of affordable housing options targeted to households earning 80 percent or less of area median income;
• ensuring that affordable housing exists throughout Davidson, including the extra territorial jurisdiction (ETJ), and that it reflects the quality and architectural design that are hallmarks of housing in town;
• honoring and acknowledging the dignity of the people who choose to live in DHC homes; and
• stewarding the community’s investment in affordable housing with integrity.

We offer affordable rentals at our three properties, The Bungalows, Creekside Corners and The Cottages, work to match buyers with affordable home ownership opportunities, and offer restoration repairs to preserve existing affordable homes. As the winter holidays approach, neighborhoods in and around Davidson support our work through our signature luminary fund raising event, Holidays for Hope and Housing. We hope you’ll join US.

The Lions Club is an international non-profit service organization made up of volunteers who work to serve their communities and improve people's lives. Lions are driven by service, united by values, and strengthened by diversity. The Davidson-Huntersville Lions Club is celebrating its 80th year of service to the community. The combined club meets for dinner at 6:30 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month at The Serve Pickleball & Kitchen in Cornelius. Attendees choosing to eat order from the menu. Guest speakers regularly attend to inform the group on a variety of subjects. New member inquiries are welcome.