A small 800-square-foot home sits on the northwest corner of the Emmaus Lutheran Church property located in Bloomington, MN. Built 50 years ago as a parsonage, the home, called the House of Hope, may seem small in stature to some. But as a home to refugee families for the past 13 years, the small home has made a big impact.
After serving so many, the home is in need of some help itself. The BATC-Housing First Minnesota Foundation and Homes by Tradition have partnered with Emmaus Lutheran Church to restore hope into the three-bedroom residence.
House of Hope before renovations.
After renovations, the house will serve as transitional housing for women and their children who are facing severe life crises. Some of the women have been incarcerated and separated from their babies, while others are seeking mental health services or struggling with chemical dependency issues or unemployment.
“As a mother, I cannot imagine what it feels like to struggle with personal issues, separated from my child, and burdened with the need to secure a place for my child and me to live,” said Donnie Brown, BATC-Housing First Minnesota Foundation manager
BATC-Housing First Minnesota Foundation manager Donnie Brown kicks off the House of Hope project.
One of the bedrooms is lined with a beautiful walnut pine, and the living room has original hardwood floors, which are in great shape. Homes By Tradition will transform this home by installing new flooring, sheetrock, millwork, paint, windows, HVAC, plumbing, walkway, and appliance package.
Kitchen gutted and ready for work to begin.
This partnership illustrates that when a need emerges in our community, someone is there to provide a solution.
As the selected build partner, the Homes by Tradition team has been such a delight to work with on this project. One of their employees who is also a member of the Emmaus Lutheran Church has dedicated and volunteered his evenings and weekends to complete this project. We cannot wait to see the finished project this February.
To learn more about this project or to donate to the BATC-Housing First Minnesota Foundation online, visit our website: www.batcfoundation.org
Want to donate a furniture package or kitchenware, contacts us at the BATC-Housing First Minnesota Foundation. Contact Donnie Brown at donnie@batc.org or 651.697.7565.
