Four years ago, we were wrapping up a $700,000 building renovation project, a capital investment that turned a run-down, former
VA hospital nurses’ quarters into a place where homeless families
and their children could stay for up to two years while they rebuilt
their lives. As the project came to a close, we began thinking about
what was next.
Our board of directors met for a visioning session, led by a wonderful strategic planner who has a personal family connection
with homelessness. She gave her time and talent generously in
part because she knew deeply how painful homelessness could be.
Her brother had been in and out of shelters for years. The planner
asked us to imagine opening day. Our new Children’s Center had
Below: The old hospital’s powerhouse building is torn down in spring 2013.
Right: The same spot is almost unrecognizable now, with the old building gone
& the ground cleared & leveled after digging out the underground oil tanks.