For Homeless Women and Children in Lake Norman Area
Written for Southern Home Magazine's September Issue
By Tom Gardner and Fran Mathay
September 2009
In a quiet Huntersville neighborhood off of I-77 is an ordinary-looking ranch house on four acres of land surrounded by trees. However, looks can be deceiving since this unpretentious exterior has an extraordinary purpose and name – Hope House.
For the past three years, Hope House has been a hub of construction activity. The Lake Norman Home Builders Association's members and many other community volunteers have provided countless hours of labor and materials to the project.
Hope House is symbolic of a community who joined together to build the first transitional home in the Lake Norman area to support the mission of helping displaced women and women with their children in this community who need a hand up, not a hand out.
When a resident is referred and admitted into the 4,000-square foot house, she becomes a member of a home that has a personal action plan. During her stay of no more than six months, she and her children will live in a clean, safe and comfortable environment that everyone in the house is responsible for maintaining and personal goals will be set and measured during her stay. In addition, she will receive employment and educational support and a variety of services to launch her on a personal path toward self-sufficiency.
The Beginnings
Dr. Lee Beth Lindquist, a family medicine physician at Lakeside Family Physicians in Cornelius, N.C, founded Hope House Foundation with loyal volunteer assistance from Don King who has been affiliated with Hope House from its earliest beginnings to now. In March 2004, the Hope House Foundation gained its official non-profit status.
Dr. Lindquist saw in her medical practice and church volunteer work with Don King a number of women in the affluent Lake Norman community in dire straits without a roof over their heads. “They needed a safe place that provided supportive services to get them back on their feet again,” explained Dr. Lindquist. “A place for them to regroup and gain back independence and confidence.”
Close to her Huntersville residence, Dr. Lindquist noticed a modest-looking brick ranch house for sale. On closer investigation, she realized the house's footprint could be converted into a group home. “It was easy to see that with renovation, this house could fulfill our immediate goal with the possibility of future cottage expansion.”
After the purchase, the Hope House Foundation was established as a 501-(c)-3 non-profit to be run by a carefully appointed Board of Directors with Dr. Lindquist serving as chair. The current foundation's board members are Chris Anthony, Owner of Chris Anthony Real Estate/Allen Tate, Geoff Bowen, Co-Owner of EFC Builders, Pam Boileau, President of The Marketing Consortium, Bob McIntosh, President of McIntosh Law Firm and Kandi Ranson, Accountant and Partner of Ladd & McCall.
The board adopted the foundation's mission: “To nurture the well-being, independence, and faith of women and their children by providing shelter, services, and support.” Then, their daunting task began to change a 1975 single-family ranch house into a two-level, up-to-code group home for displaced women and children.
Love turns Hope House into Home
The property had to be rezoned from single-family into a transitional group home that could accommodate up to 12 adults. The foundation learned to navigate complicated local, state, and federal regulations is not for the faint of heart.
However, they persevered transforming this former private residence into a mission-driven home for women and their children through the generous support of numerous community donors, volunteers, faith-based congregations, non-profits and foundations.
The renovation entailed extensive site work, paving, drainage and landscaping. Within the house, there has been structural, electrical and mechanical changes to accommodate the new configuration for two kitchens, two living rooms, ample dining space, six bedrooms, four bathrooms, carpet and flooring replacement, painting and drywall as well as complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act to provide ramps, bedroom, living and dining, access to the Learning Center and a bathroom/shower for the disabled, two commercial-grade laundry rooms, an indoor children's play area and an outdoor playground and picnic area.
Perhaps, one of the most dramatic changes to this house was turning a large storage area on the lower level into a virtual classroom for adults and children through a. generous grant from AT&T Foundation. This classroom and assembly room has state-of-the-art computers and software for both adults and children to pursue and focus upon educational and employment opportunities. The AT&T Learning Center is their “fishing pole” toward building confidence and self-sufficiency.
Another important benefactor whose contributions are felt throughout the house has been from the Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina Foundation who generously furnished the house with beds, mattresses, bed linens from the bedspread to box spring mattress, pillows, towels, blinds, closet shelving and commercial washers and driers as well as other necessary household appliances and safety systems.
The Next Step
Hope House volunteers are now putting on the finishing touches in furnishing the house and beginning the staffing process. Even with the house at 99% completion, volunteers' contributions are now needed to run the house. “With our opening our doors, we now need support to maintain this gift to our community,” said Dr. Lindquist. “We anticipate within our first year of operation, Hope House will accommodate approximately 60 to 80 women and children,” she added.
To qualify as a resident, a social worker from a partnering non-profit will initially screen candidates. Once accepted into Hope House by its staff, residents are required to earn their keep and share in the responsibility of maintaining a clean and orderly home environment for everyone. In addition, residents must fulfill personal goals set by their social worker and the Hope House staff, which will help them to become independent -- one of the core reasons this house was started.
A house can be almost any shelter with walls and a roof. But it is people who make a house a home. And for Hope House, it's been the community that has put out the new “Welcome Mat.”
To learn more about Hope House and become a friend to its mission, contact info@hopehousefoundation.org or call the foundation at 704-992-1902.