The Henry T. Nicholas III Foundation presented the ‘Gordon's House' keys to the Martinez-Moran family
during a Habitat for Humanity dedication ceremony Jan. 16th in Westminster, Ca. Built through a partnership between Habitat for Humanity of Orange County and the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, Gordon’s House was created in honor of the late Episcopal priest Reverend Canon Gordon B. Yeaton, Jr., board member of Habitat for Humanity of Orange County who died in 2007. Dr. Nicholas attended the event to praise the Diocese and Habitat for their contribution to families and to honor the Martinez-Moran family for their ability to overcome hardships. The Henry T. Nicholas, III Foundation has donated more than $600,000 to Habitat for Humanity of Orange County, including $100,000 for the construction of ‘Gordon’s House.’

On Aug. 26, 2009, Nicholas Academic Center students visited MacArthur Park’s Mama’s Hot Tamales Café, an economic development project aimed at mentoring limited-income entrepreneurs who may not have access to the skills and resources they need to start a business. Mama’s Hot Tamales Café has been praised both locally and nationwide— and is fully supported by the city of Los Angeles— for providing the leadership that has helped the local community overcome decades of economic, residential, educational, environmental, and recreational disinvestment. The Café’s program director, Sandi “Mama” Romero, taught the students how to cook tamales while also explaining the program’s cultural and economic benefit to the surrounding community. The students also visited Mama’s Small Business Kitchen Incubator in Pasadena, a licensed food preparation and education area for those starting a business. An economic development project of the Episcopal Housing Alliance, the Incubator and Café help stimulate the local economy by utilizing local resources. Like the partnership between the Performing Arts Center and the Academic Center, the field trip to Mama’s Tamales Café and Small Business Incubator is designed to not only bring together two programs that the Henry T. Nicholas III Foundation fully supports, but to teach the students about successful entrepreneurs through the results of hard work.

Dr. Henry “Nick” Nicholas pounded nails and helped raise the wall framing today on a Habitat for Humanity house as construction began on the future home of a deserving Orange County family. In a ceremony later, four families were given the keys to newly completed homes, including the family of Iraq War veteran Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Morales, who watched the proceedings via webcam from his current deployment in Iraq. Morales’ wife, Katia, and two young daughters were present for the ceremony. Dr. Nicholas was honored in recognition of the $500,000 grant from the Henry T. Nicholas, III Foundation that is helping to build 27 homes.

With the support of the Henry T. Nicholas, III Foundation, Habitat for Humanity is building a home in the memory of the late Rev. Canon Gordon B. Yeaton, Jr. Yeaton was a public school teacher in Irvine and a part-time Episcopal priest in the Diocese of Los Angeles. The Henry T. Nicholas, III Foundation contributed $100,000 toward the cost of constructing the home, which has been dubbed "Gordon's House." When complete, the Westminster house will be home to a widower and his two sons.