Empire Communities, HomeAid begin Boys and Girls Country cottage construction

Eight boys will soon be moving into their brand new 8,100square-foot cottage that will provide each with their own bedroom for the first time in their lives.

This is being made possible by the partnership between HomeAid and Empire Communities who are beginning construction on this Boys and Girls country cottage.

This is HomeAid’s third cottage they have facilitated for the campus located in Hockley.

The cottage will also house the children’s teaching parents and is designed to instill security, warmth and a nurturing environment for as long as the children need a safe haven, many times through high school.

Funding is being provided to Boys and Girls Country from the Woodforest Charitable Foundation. Rafael Casas with Empire Communities is construction manager for the project.

“Empire Communities is honored to take part in the ongoing expansion of the Boys and Girls Country campus,” said James Miller with Empire Communities and a HomeAid board members. “Our partnership with HomeAid Houston, a leader in the community that provides housing for those facing homelessness, is a perfect fit that will allow us to provide a well-built, safe place for these children to flourish.”

The concrete for the cottage has been poured, the plumbing is in and the framing has begun. A gathering of the children, volunteers and Boys and Girls Country staff is planned at the completion of the frame stage to share expressions of hope and inspiration by writing scriptures and quotes on the actual lumber that is the structure for the cottage walls.

Boys and Girls Country is a Christian home for children who come from families in crisis.

The agency serves as a beacon of hope for families and their children in times of hardship, offering them a reliable home life. The Boys and Girls Country program is a nonprofit established in 1971.

The program is made up of a network of 11 cottages. The children live with a married teaching parent and any children they may have, as well as two single teaching parents who raise these children as their own. The campus can accommodate 88 children, ages 5 to 18.

“The construction of this cottage is bringing so much excitement and joy to the children it will benefit,” said Carole Brady, executive director of HomeAid Houston. “Partnering with James Miller and his generous company, Empire Communities has made the construction process seamless. We can’t thank Rafael Casas and his team enough for all they are accomplishing.”

For more information on HomeAid Houston, visit www.homeaidhouston.org or call 281-970-8970.