By Carole Hawkins, [email protected]
Howard White figured it wouldn’t take much in repairs to make the early 20th century house livable. A remodeled bathroom and kitchen, a new HVAC system, updates to the electric and plumbing.
The payout could be huge, though.
When it’s finished, it’ll be a transition home for people who’ve beaten addiction and the problems behind it.
White has “adopted” the house, one of 13 that have fallen into disrepair and now need attention.
They’re owned by City Rescue Mission, a faith-based group that shelters and counsels homeless people with addiction issues.
“Some people are just down and out and need others to give them a helping hand,” said White of North Florida Builders.
One person who might need that help is Carol (last names are not shared). After 15 months at City Rescue Mission, she’s begun to look for a job.
With a felony on her record and a history of violence, she’s finding it tough.
“I’m not violent anymore. I’m not even the same person,” she said.
Until there’s steady work, a low-rent house could become the life raft she’ll need to get by.
Jacksonville has five homeless shelters. The one at City Rescue Mission includes a program that provides emergency services, drug recovery, workforce development and a Christian curriculum.
As a faith-based program, it doesn’t qualify for government funding and relies entirely on donations.
Even more challenging, people who’ve been in the drug recovery program often can’t qualify for low-income housing once they leave. That’s because after being at City Rescue Mission for a year, they’re no longer considered homeless.
“They need a place to live. They can’t just go back to drug haven,” Executive Director Penny Kievet said.
City Rescue Mission’s McDuff Avenue campus was formerly Trinity Baptist College and the 13 homes there had once been student housing.
When City Rescue Mission bought the property in 1998, they were still livable, but never in great shape, Kievet said. Over the years, they’ve never kept up with repairs.
One donor offered $200,000 to fix all of the houses, but that deal fell through.
Another offered $15,000 if the group could find a matching donor. Two more signed on.
Cynthia Montello, a public relations professional and 12-year advocate of City Rescue Mission, decided in April to launch a “Homes of Hope” marketing campaign to raise donations for the rest.
She’s also asked for help from clients, many of them homebuilders.
“I had a troubled past,” Montello said. “God has absolutely used the things I’ve gone through to help me to be of service to others.”
She soon would be joined by another servant.
Charlie Clark, founder of the Northeast Florida Builders Association’s Sales and Marketing Council, thought he had only three months to live when he was diagnosed with cancer in October.
Instead, he’s made it through nine months of chemotherapy.
“The Lord has given me some extra time,” he said. “I thought, ‘Well I can do one of two things. I can sit around and waste it, or maybe I can do something.’”
Clark and his wife, Trudy, visited City Rescue Mission, and afterward joined Montello in calling on builders to help.
White was the first builder to sign on. On a hot June day, he sized up the house he’ll fix.
The shallow coal fireplace suggests it’s about 100 years old, but the bones are good.
“What we’re afraid of are the things you can’t see,” he said.
Infrared imaging was used to find out what’s inside the walls and under the floors.
The answer, it turns out, is nothing. No insulation anywhere.
“Back in those days, they didn’t worry so much about energy efficiency,” said Michael Munn, who performed the inspection. The home also had two-prong outlets and galvanized piping.
Repairs for each of the 13 homes are estimated at $15,000. White will ask his subcontractors to pitch in. What they can’t do, he’ll pay for.
City Rescue Mission has commitments to fix seven of the 13 homes. Montello knows getting the remaining six is a big ask after a recession that has set everyone back.
“With things like this I never rely on my own strength. I rely on God,” she said. “God will give us six more like Howard White.”
Montello isn’t the only one who’s been relying on God.
City Rescue Mission is a place where funds are short, but faith is abundant. Where troubled lives are changed by a moment of grace.
Carol’s mother had left her alone to care for her three siblings — a newborn, a 4-year-old and a 6-year-old — when she was still just a child. They had to steal food to eat. As an adult, Carol sought refuge in abusive relationships and crack cocaine.
At City Rescue Mission, she tackled the addiction and came to understand why she made so many bad choices.
“I never felt loved,” she said. “I used to be angry at God. Now I feel I went through those hard times because God was showing me that I could be strong.”
J.B., like Carol, has a felony conviction.
He gave up on life after finding out he had cancer. At City Rescue Mission, people cared and saw the good in him. He learned that there’s hope. That you never give up.
“I’ve been to the other shelters in Jacksonville. They have God here,” he said.
William drank heavily and was driven to near insanity after his mother and several other close family members died in quick succession. His mother had been the glue that held the family together. He tried to commit suicide.
At City Rescue Mission, he found God.
“Now instead of talking to myself, I’m talking to my friends. I’m talking to Jesus,” he said. “I’ll never be alone again.”
Clark, like Montello, knows builders are stretched thin from years of lean profits. Now with housing’s rebound, everybody’s busy making up for lost time. Still, he knows there are some who will help.
“We have some of the most benevolent builders in Jacksonville that I’ve ever met anywhere in the world,” he said. “They come to the plate every time. When you show them a need, they find a way to get it done.”
To donate to Homes of Hope, contact Cynthia Montello at (904) 343-1096 or [email protected]