Sandhills Family Heritage Association (SFHA) strives to improve the quality of life for underserved communities in the Sandhills region of North Carolina through economic self-sufficiency, protection of land and livelihoods, preservation of African American cultural heritage, and promotion of health and wellness.
SFHA carries out its mission through its programs of H.O.P.E.: Heritage, Outreach, Preservation of Land, and Economic Empowerment. Their programs approach communities holistically, addressing the history, heritage, economic growth and stability, and the health and well-being of families. Programs include Heritage Tourism, HealthWise, Sankofa Youth, Know2Grow (financial literacy), Sankofa Players, and other activities to promote and protect land ownership.
In 2021, Sandhills Family Heritage Association received a North Carolina Humanities American Rescue Plan Humanities Grant to help sustain their operations through the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This grant will help Sandhills Family Heritage Association maintain staff and office space, where our files, equipment, records, and historic collections are stored,” said Ammie Jenkins, Executive Director.
“This grant support will also allow SFHA to resume heritage tour planning, research, documentation, and preservation of the history and cultural heritage of rural African Americans in the Sandhills of NC. Our Sankofa Youth program will help youth better understand and appreciate their place in local and state history, and Heritage Keepers legacies will be preserved to benefit future generations,” Jenkins concluded.
North Carolina Humanities awarded a total of $1,271,060 in American Rescue Plan Humanities Grants to 90 North Carolina cultural organizations in September 2021. Funding for North Carolina Humanities American Rescue Plan Humanities Grants was provided to North Carolina Humanities by the National Endowment for the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP), approved by Congress and signed into law by President Biden in March 2021. To see a list of all 90 grantees visit nchumanities.org.
Stories of Impact is a limited-time blog series that highlights various North Carolina Humanities American Rescue Plan Humanities Grant recipients and their amazing work across the state.
