COLUMBUS, Ohio — An Ohio State-themed tailgate, a pop-up health fair and a brand-new hygiene pantry gave residents of two Columbus affordable housing communities a pair of days built entirely around them, as CVS Health, Aetna and Oak Street Health colleagues spent back-to-back days volunteering at Bretton Woods and Harriet’s Hope last month, according to a CVS Health release issued through ACCESS Newswire on Monday, November 2.
Bretton Woods, completed in 2023 with a $5.2 million investment from CVS Health and developed with National Church Residences, is home to 62 affordable homes for adults age 55 and older. The company said the afternoon brought a little Buckeye game-day spirit directly to the residents’ doorstep.
The tailgate itself had the full game-day kit: cornhole, a photo booth, a DJ, raffle prizes, lunch, football-themed treats and giveaways from CVS Health, Aetna and Oak Street — plus a larger-than-life inflatable Brutus Buckeye towering over the festivities, according to the release.
It was not only about the party. Residents were also connected with health and wellness resources on the spot, from a vaccine clinic to Oak Street Health and Aetna resource tables where they could learn about services available to them, CVS Health said.
The following day, the volunteers moved across town to Harriet’s Hope, another Columbus affordable housing community that received more than $10 million in investment from CVS Health. Opened in 2022, Harriet’s Hope provides 52 affordable homes and supportive services for survivors of human trafficking, including trauma-informed case management, recovery services, workforce development and peer support.
There, the crew built something meant to last longer than a party: an on-site hygiene pantry stocked with products from the CVS distribution center — hair care, personal hygiene items, diapers and other everyday essentials. Working with their case workers, residents can replenish supplies right inside the building, removing one more barrier as they focus on recovery and stability, the company said. The rest of the afternoon went to lunch, fall crafts and pumpkin decorating with residents.
Harriet’s Hope drew national recognition in 2024, when it received a Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Award in the Housing for Special Populations category for its approach to helping residents build safe, stable and independent futures, according to the release.
CVS Health framed the two days around its belief that housing is health care — a philosophy it has backed with millions invested in Columbus affordable housing. For the seniors at Bretton Woods and the survivors rebuilding their lives at Harriet’s Hope, the takeaway was simpler: a tailgate, a stocked pantry shelf, and neighbors who showed up.