Check out our Major Gifts Guide for the BigHouse Retreat!
Building a future for children in foster care.
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21
A dream becoming a reality.
When we set out on our journey to a forever BigHouse home, we knew we wanted it to be more than a building. We wanted to provide a warm, safe, lovely space where children felt valued and safe. We wanted a space that was both beautiful and functional, that would serve our programs well and allow us to share our space with others and ultimately a place the kids and families we serve would feel they belonged.
Although the journey has been a bit bumpy, in February we purchased 8.8 acres in Opelika just off Hwy 280 on Grand National Parkway. It will house our new BigHouse Boutique- a free resource center for foster and adoptive families, our offices and workspace, a play room and family room for events and ample outdoor space for playdates, potlucks, family events and more.
In the spring of this year, we sat down with Sarah Tollitson Smith to design this space. Over the past 6 months she has walked us through designing a space that meets our needs and our vision.
We have selected Michael Allen Homes as the builder for this project. The knowledge and vision Michael and his staff have for our forever home were a perfect fit for our needs. We are especially grateful for their commitment to serving children in foster care in their personal lives and through their partnership with BigHouse in the project. The Lord has opened doors for a fantastic team to make this dream a reality.
Over the past 12 years, BigHouse has faithfully served foster and adoptive families and the children in their homes. Our local community has supported these efforts generously. Our new space will create an opportunity for BigHouse to expand our current services to more families in East Alabama. It will enable us to provide new services and programming in our own space and ultimately connect more children to resources that will impact their experience in foster care or through adoption for the better.
Since 2009, BigHouse has served over 20,000 children in the state of Alabama and beyond.
Our future space will allow us to do even more to meet the needs and improve the quality of life for children in foster care. Our goal is for no child or family to have to navigate the world of foster care alone. We look forward to having a space to meet more needs, build more relationships and advocate more on behalf of these children.
The BigHouse Retreat will provide our community with the opportunity to invest in the future of children in foster care, the families that care for them, and families that have committed to forever through adoption.
If you are interested in partnering with BigHouse as we develop and build our BigHouse Retreat, please contact Micah Melnick at micah@ourbighouse.org or 334-363-2634. We will need financial partners and in kind donations.