HARVIELL — “This is outstanding. It’s remarkable when the community can step up to help fill a need. I think this is very promising,” said Rep. Jason Smith after he toured the Next Chapter house in Harviell on Tuesday.
Smith was invited to tour the facility by Mount Calvary Powerhouse Church Bishop Ron Webb. The location had its ribbon cutting on June 7.
“This feels like a home,” Smith commented.
“That was the idea,” Webb replied. “This was designed purposefully to feel like a big home.”
Mount Cavalry combined efforts with Family Counseling Center (FCC) and used a HUD program to build Next Chapter, to help vulnerable youth by providing living quarters while they prepare for independence.
The specific program providing the funds is named the Youth Homeless Demonstration Program; and is designed specifically to meet emerging needs that challenge young adults who might struggle with addiction or other issues. The program is primarily focused on young adults, with the ages ranging from 17-24.
The total cost of the building is estimated at $1.5 million due to the size of the property — 10 acres — and the building itself.
“And was that money taken from the grant?” Smith asked.
“No, that money came from the church and from donors,” Webb explained.
Nathan Betz, the house manager for Next Chapter, explained that the total grant funding amount is $2.5 million, but that amount is not isolated to just that one location.
“It’s designated to cover five regions, and each region is composed of different counties,” Betz explained. “These funds are for a two-year demonstration period that isn’t permanent. We can file for an extension; but that doesn’t mean we will get it.”
Betz informed Smith that residents are taught to be self-sufficient and how to maintain a clean home.
“Many of the residents aren’t familiar with these responsibilities,” Betz noted.
“It’s kind of like when I was growing up and I would go visit my grandparents,” Smith remarked. “We would use the outhouse and pump water from a cistern, and we didn’t think there was anything abnormal about it because we didn’t know any different.”
Betz said the building was half-filled within just two days of being opened. “It won’t take long for us to fill it.”
“It’s definitely a need,” Webb remarked. “And this facility, this program, is a game-changer. We want to replicate this on other areas.”
Webb added he is currently looking at property in Pemiscot County.
“I’m sure there’s a need there as well,” Smith remarked. “That’s the poorest county in the district.”
Smith enthusiastically pledged support for the program and recognized it as filling a major need.
“There’s a quote that I like from Dr. Ben Carson, and it goes ‘What you do in the first 25 years of your life will determine how easy or how difficult the next 50 years of life will be,’” Smith said. “And when you consider this program is directed at youth, with the age cutoff being 24, it makes those words stand out even more.”