Yesterday, The Religious Coalition staff and board of directors were joined by local government officials and Coalition donors, to celebrate “Demo Day.” The ceremony celebrated the beginning phases of the rehabilitation and renovations of the White-Hayward Farmhouse on Hayward Rd. Here is what Frederick County Executive, Jan Gardner had to say about the site:
We are really excited to be with you here today. It really is an exciting day in Frederick County…But we are really excited to be here today for this celebration and to recognize that we are making progress to help families in our community have a place to go so they can be stabilized and find a permanent path back to stability, and that they can thrive in our community.
The farmhouse will serve as the future home of the Coalition’s Emergency Family Shelter. Once finished, the house will include family suites with personal bathrooms, laundry rooms, a large community kitchen and living area, counseling rooms, and a children’s playroom.
The new Emergency Family Shelter will offer the stability that families experiencing homelessness sorely need and will provide temporary housing and supportive services for up to ten families.
“The reason we are doing this is to ensure we effect the lives of those we house. To change the trajectory of those who need a stable to build foundation to build upon. Beyond Shelter is not a marketing gimmick. It is our marching order. Build a shelter, shelter the families, return them to their homes, and make sure that it doesn’t happen again. Go Beyond Shelter, and stay beyond shelter. The folks who enter this building don’t stop here and we must make sure that the homeless families in the County are provided an even keel and given the motivation and opportunity to return to a better life.” – Nick Brown, Executive Director, The Religious Coalition
The construction is slated to be completed in the early part of 2022. The Religious Coalition is raising $3.0 million through the Beyond Shelter Capital Campaign. To date $1.9 has been raised towards that goal.
