A donation from a leading home supply chain is advancing construction on two unique features in Augusta’s first tiny homes community.
Teams from area Lowe’s stores have been building the Serenity Garden and fire pit pod at the Bridge Builders Community’s (BBC) project to provide housing to teens aging out of foster care with little to no support to transition into their new lives.
The company provided a $100,000 grant through the Lowe’s Community Impact program, one of only 100 programs selected for the grant. Earlier this year, BBC sold engraved memory bricks. Money raised, combined with the Lowe’s grant, is being used to build the Serenity Garden and fire pit.
“What Lowe’s wants to do is make sure that we’re impacting the community that we serve, and we also want to build up the community,” Latora Smith, a local store manager, told ABD. “This was a very good opportunity for us to close that gap. When you think about what Jackson (Drumgoole) is doing to provide shelter for displaced teens, this is a great opportunity for us to pull our sleeves up and get inside the community.”
Dr. Jackson Drumgoole, BBC’s founder and executive director, is spearheading the plan to build 25 tiny homes on the site at 1140 Merry Street. They will house people aged 18-25 who are no longer part of the foster care system.
The complex will provide more than just housing. There will be programs helping with educational and vocational outcomes, workforce development partnerships with Augusta Technical College and Goodwill Industries, healthcare, and life skills coaching.
Young people who enter the community can become part of the next wave of employees for the area businesses, including Lowe’s. To that end, BBC has partnered with assorted businesses, including Piedmont Augusta, Wellstar MCG, and Chick-fil-A, to have jobs ready.
“When you think about foundation, when he’s providing shelter in a safe place, he’s actually having them pick up a trade, and they actually have to obtain a job. This could be very well the next workforce,” said Smith. “I’m really excited about this because this shows the world that you don’t need a four-year degree to get to where you need to be in life. You just need someone to say, ‘ Yes, I support you, and I think that’s going to be a beautiful flourishing moment for these displaced teens.”
The village is configured into pods of five homes each. Each will be 320 square feet, designed similarly to a studio apartment. It has a living/dining/sleeping area, bathroom, and kitchen with a two-burner induction cooktop, microwave, and refrigerator. It will be fully furnished with a new bed and linens, pots, pans, utensils, a table, and chairs. Those will all be given to the residents when they move out to help set up their first independent home.
The complex will include a community building and living quarters for an on-site manager. It is being built on a two-acre tract that previously served as a city park.
The grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the first phase is scheduled for Oct. 14th at 11:00 a.m.
Learn more about the tiny homes village at www.bridgebuildercommunities.org/
