Excelsior Springs Native Receives Prestigious Humanitarian Award

*Cameron Huett with his Aunt Kelly Anderson (submitted).*

Excelsior Springs native Cameron Huett has been awarded the John and Mary Pritchard Humanitarian Service Award from William Jewell College. The award, which is named after the founders of Habitat for Humanity of Kansas City, recognizes outstanding service to a humanitarian organization. As part of the award, Cameron was granted $5,000 to donate to the organization of his choice.

Cameron, who is a junior at William Jewell, submitted his award proposal for Eden Village of Excelsior Springs, a non-profit organization that provides affordable housing for people who have experienced chronic homelessness. The grant will be used to hire an architect or a civil engineer to create the site plan and building plans for Eden Village’s Excelsior Springs location. Cameron said that if the total cost of the engineering and architectural plans is less than $5,000, the remainder of the grant will go towards Eden Village’s fundraising campaign for land acquisition.

Cameron’s aunt, Kelly Anderson, is spearheading the Eden Village project in Excelsior Springs, and Cameron got involved with the organization through a leadership studies class project at William Jewell. He said he believes the Eden Village model is exceptional because it provides a safe and supportive environment for people who have experienced chronic homelessness, and offers people a “hand up” instead of just a handout.

Cameron is currently studying music and nonprofit leadership at William Jewell College and hopes to teach musicology at the collegiate level someday. He said he is proud to be from Excelsior Springs, and he believes that growing up in a small community and smaller high school helped him develop a diverse range of interests by allowing him to become involved in a variety of activities.

The John and Mary Pritchard Humanitarian Service Award is given annually to William Jewell College students who commit to engaging with people in need, developing relationships with people different from them in all fundamental aspects, and learning about their unique gifts and about what God calls them to do with those gifts. Cameron’s passion for the mission of Eden Village has earned him this prestigious award, and he hopes that his work with the organization will help make a positive impact on the lives of those experiencing chronic homelessness in Excelsior Springs.

Learn more about Eden Village at their website, https://edenvillageusa.org/excelsior-springs-mo/