HomeAid, Caldwell complete Boys & Girls Country project

HomeAid Houston, Caldwell Homes, and members of the Greater Houston Builders Association gathered on the campus of Boys and Girls Country in Hockley with their staff and friends to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the new eight-unit Howard Family Cottage for boys who come from families in crisis. The cottage, supported by the Howard Family, provides a shared living area and kitchen with state-of-the-art appliances, laundry room, eight bedrooms, bathrooms, and walk-in closets along with private quarters for both married and relief house parents, featuring a dedicated kitchen and laundry area.

This project was the first completed “HomeAid Connects” project since the program’s inception. The intent of this program is to connect homeless service providers with members of the GHBA who would like to take on a retail build with some discounts — approximately 20-35%. For this project, 37 builders/trades stepped up to work alongside Caldwell Homes.

L to R: First row – Carole Brady, HomeAid Houston, Lauren Pence, Caldwell Homes (CH), Art Gonzalez, CH, David Howard and Mrs. David Howard, Kim Nguyen, CH, Vince Duran, Boys & Girls Country, Tim May, CH, Susan Caldwell, CH, Becky Dorris, CH, Chris Lane, CH, Mattew Reibenstein, GHBA. Second row – Maddie Lyon, CH, Shea Harris, CH, Fred Caldwell, CH, Quintes Stark, BGC, James Miller, BGC, Debra Ropp, Ben Pisklak, BGC, Scott Black, HomeAid Houston, Tim Mayo, CH, Kevin Johnson, CH, Steve Stephens, BGC.

Boys & Girls Country provides a Christian home for families and their children ages 5-18 in times of hardship, offering the children a reliable home and support. The children live with married “Teaching Parents” and any children they may have, as well as two single “Teaching Parents” who raise the children as their own.

“Boys and Girls Country has done such a fabulous job in the community by providing housing for youth that otherwise wouldn’t have a safe haven. Caldwell Homes was privileged to be a part of creating a beautiful cottage that gives each youth their own private space in which to get away including a bedroom, private bathroom, and their own walk-in closet. The kitchen and living areas are the perfect, welcoming gathering space. One of the most enjoyable parts of the project was asking the young men to choose their own bedding and then watch their personalities light up. This project filled our hearts with gratitude for the wonderful work being done at Boys and Girls Country,” said Susan Caldwell, Marketing Director, Caldwell Companies.

HomeAid’s Executive Director, Carole Brady shared, “HomeAid was contacted by Boys and Girls Country in 2023 regarding a cottage that they were interested in building as soon as possible. At the time, our build calendar was fully committed. Susan Caldwell at Caldwell Homes heard the call and didn’t hesitate to step up to lead the project. Not only did Caldwell Homes turn the project around in record time, but they went the extra mile to create a space for these boys that would truly feel like home. They even stocked the pantry! For many of these children who have survived a life of trauma, this is their first experience of having a secure home. Caldwell Homes poured their hearts into this project and did a truly amazing job!”

HomeAid Houston’s core construction programs facilitate the construction or renovation of homeless shelters utilizing the pro bono construction resources of members of the Greater Houston Builders Association and its trades to save homeless service providers from 20-100% of construction costs. Since 2003, HomeAid Houston has completed 78 projects which house over 5,000 homeless men, women, and children annually.

For HomeAid Houston visit www.homeaidhouston.org or call 281-970-8970. For Boys and Girls Country visit www.boysandgirlscountry.org. For Caldwell Homes visit www.caldwellhomes.com.