Fixer upper
HopeHouse OKC wins money from contest launched by ‘Fixer Upper’ star
An OKC house will get a makeover with some help from HGTV stars Chip and Joanna Gaines.
The faith-based nonprofit HopeHouse OKC has big plans to fix up a house in desperate need of a makeover. The organization recently connected with some folks who know just what to do with a fixer upper. HopeHouse recently received $25,000 to start its renovation project after being named a winner in the 2018 Chipstarter competition. The contest was launched last year by Chip Gaines, one half of the famous power couple behind the hit HGTV show “Fixer Upper.” According to the Chipstarter. com website, Gaines came up with the idea for the competition while working on his book “Capital Gaines.” The premise for the contest was simple: People with a dream they were passionate about were invited to film themselves discussing their mission, their specific action plans to make it happen and how much money they would need to accomplish it. Rhonda Hefton, a founding board member of HopeHouse OKC, said she has been a fan of the Gaineses and their renovation reality show since it began. (The show ended its five-season run at the end of the 2017-18 season at the Gaineses’ request). Hefton said she found out about the Chipstarter competition at the last minute but decided to enter anyway. The metro-area woman wanted HopeHouse to get a muchneeded boost in its efforts to renovate a northeast Oklahoma City house. With a project cost of $80,000, HopeHouse plans to remodel the structure for use as a home for pregnant inmates participating in the ReMerge jaildiversion program. Hefton said she asked Brandy Romine, HopeHouse’s program
director, for help, and they filmed a short video designed to tell Gaines about the HopeHouse project home.
Hefton was surprised and excited when she learned that her entry was among the Chipstarter finalists. She traveled to Waco, Texas, for the Gaineses’ Magnolia Silobration held Oct. 18-21, and it was at that event that Chip Gaines and his wife, Joanna, announced the six winners of the contest.
“They give you enough to get started, but you have to make a commitment that you will raise the rest of the money to finish the project, hence the name ‘Chipstarter,’ “Hefton said.
“They (the Gaineses) were so friendly and so nice. And it was good to see people have so much excitement about giving back.”
Help the rest of the way
Hefton and Romine said HopeHouse is trying to raise the remaining $65,000 needed to complete the home renovation. A women’s night benefit fundraiser was held Thursday at Frontline Church. Romine said they hope to raise the remaining money by the end of the year.
Hefton said a generous business has offered to put in new light fixtures. Romine said the house needs “everything,” including appliances, furniture, new windows and flooring. The pair said the home has three bedrooms, but they hope to transform it into a four-bedroom so that four women will be able to call it home.
The Rev. Treb Praytor, pastor of The Vine Church and HopeHouse OKC’s executive director, said he was thrilled when Hefton told him that her video entry had won funding for the nonprofit’s project.
“It’s been a real great six years watching what the Lord has done so we’re excited about stepping into this new opportunity,” Praytor said.
Terri Woodland, executive director of ReMerge, also expressed excitement.
She said ReMerge depends greatly on its partners like HopeHouse that help provide the crucial housing component for ReMerge.
“HopeHouse OKC has been an amazing community partner with ReMerge, providing safe, supportive and sober housing for our new mothers,” she said.
“This will allow us to get these mothers out of jail and into our program more quickly because we will have safe, sober and affordable housing already identified.”