As a reader of our blog, you may already know that TSAHC’s programs target the housing needs of low-income families and other underserved populations across the state of Texas.
Through the Texas Foundations Fund (TFF), we award grants to local nonprofit organizations that assist very low-income households with a disability and/or located in a rural community. TSAHC has invested more than $4 million into the program to date, improving access to critical home repairs and supportive housing services. This year, we will be providing each of our 33 grantees with $20,000 grants, totaling $660,000 in 2021.
Now a year into our two-year funding cycle, we thought we would share two recent success stories submitted by our current grantees.
Located in Bedford, TX, 6 Stones Mission Network is a nonprofit organization with several programs that help them accomplish their mission of sharing hope with the hopeless. One of those programs is the Community Powered Revitalization (CPR) program, which is a collaborative effort between several community organizations to assist homeowners that are struggling to make necessary home repairs.
One of these homeowners, who wished to remain anonymous, is a single mom to two sets of twins. In September 2020, one of her oldest children began experiencing breathing problems and fell seriously ill, needing hospital visits and several weeks’ worth of time before they were able to get a diagnosis. One of their neighbors contacted 6 Stones while they were in the hospital because their fence was falling over, adding on to a growing number of home repairs that they needed to do.
And, as this anonymous homeowner puts it, “home ownership sometimes is hard…Normally things with houses cost a lot of money, and right now any extra money I have is being put aside for medical bills.” But using funds from TSAHC’s TFF program and a network of community volunteers, 6 Stones was able to provide this single mom a much-appreciated home repair job.
“It’s taken just a huge weight off of me. Just the little extra touches, you know, they put flowers in my flower beds. I thought we were just cleaning out the existing flowers, and they were like, ‘No, what is your favorite color?’ and little things like that. They got me a new door mat because mine was falling apart. The little touches like that meant a lot and I am very, very extremely thankful for them.”
Buckner Children and Family Services, Inc. is a nonprofit located in Lufkin, TX that offers a variety of programs to children, families and single parents with the goal of building the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in life. Their Family Pathways program provides single-parent households with affordable apartment housing, educational support, access to caseworkers and counseling services, and personal enrichment courses that help provide life skills in parenting, financial literacy, relationships, nutrition, and more.
Nancy, one of the program participants, was forced to drop out of high school during her sophomore year, but decided to enroll in an alternative school because she wanted to provide for her young daughter. She attended classes in the mornings, working part-time throughout the day and caring for her daughter in the evenings. This way, she was able to power through two years of high school work, earning her diploma within the span of one year.
But Nancy knew that she would need help if she wanted to provide her children with a safe place to live while also pursuing a college degree. This need is what led her to Buckner, where she has found support within a community of single parents and the Buckner program staff.
“They’ve actually been the family I never really had. I didn’t see myself just being able to keep going anymore and they kind of dug me out of that hole. It was really hard, but I got through it and they kept motivating me and just being there for me. I started realizing that I’m worth way more than I give myself credit. I hope one day to be a successful business owner and have something to leave behind for my kids.”
To learn more about the Texas Foundations Fund program, please visit our program webpage or read our previous blog entries here.
On the House blog posts are meant to provide general information on various housing-related issues, research and programs. We are not liable for any errors or inaccuracies in the information provided by blog sources. Furthermore, this blog is not legal advice and should not be used as a substitute for legal advice from a licensed professional attorney.
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