A week of rain receded long enough to let a Mid-Cities housing nonprofit bring sunshine to a very deserving family in need of home repair help.
The North Texas nonprofit 6 Stones celebrated its 900th home repair at 10:30 a.m. Friday without a single raindrop. Local city council members, civic leaders, corporate sponsors, volunteers, and staff gathered at the site of the monumental repair, a Bedford home occupied by a family of four.
“What an awesome charity this is,” said Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare to the assembled group standing on the home’s front lawn. The organization is “truly doing God’s work.”
Even with overcast skies, the weather allowed volunteers to start painting the outside of the house in a south Bedford neighborhood. The ceremony marked the beginning of a two-day event with Bloomfield Homes, an event sponsor, providing volunteers to work on the 900th house.
Good Partnership
“It’s a good partnership that the City of Bedford has enjoyed with 6 Stones over the past 16 years,” said Mayor Dan Cogan, who added that the organization already has revitalized 162 homes in his city of approximately 50,000. “So we’re honored that the 900th house is within our city, where it will enhance the neighborhood and the entire city.”
With housing in short supply throughout North Texas, 6 Stones is helping solve a problem in aging neighborhoods and cities that are considered built-out. By revitalizing infill areas and cities with older neighborhoods, non-profits and advocacy groups are helping keep legacy residents in their homes.
Friday’s event drew the attention of both corporations, city staffers, and volunteers. Among the attendees were Bloomfield Homes executives, including company president Don Dykstra, vice president Tim Stewart, and site captain Mike Collins. Also, there were Charles Johnson, vice president of the Arlington Renegades of the UFL, and Andrea Roy, Bedford’s city manager.
“We’re incredibly proud to celebrate in 6 Stones’ 900th Community Powered Revitalization home right here in Bedford — each one represents a renewed sense of hope and stability for our community,” Roy said. “This milestone is a testament to the power of partnerships and the impact we can make when we invest in our neighborhoods.”
Community Collaboration
The work on this home is a part of the nonprofit organization’s program, Community-Powered Revitalization (CPR). This initiative helps organize volunteers to repair and revitalize homes for vulnerable populations such as veterans, single parents, and the elderly. Known for its mission to serve as a “Catalyst of Hope,” the organization collaborates with local governments, businesses, churches, and volunteers in several ways, including improving housing in the Hurst, Bedford, Euless, and Grapevine areas.
“The 900th home represents so much more than a number,” said Jen Leney, executive director of 6 Stones. “It’s a testament to what we can do when cities, businesses, churches, and everyday people come together to love and serve their neighbors.”
Since its inception, 6 Stones’ CPR program has helped numerous low-income homeowners afford critical repairs. By organizing volunteer teams from across the community, CPR addresses repairs including siding, painting, landscaping, and structural improvements. The program’s efforts have contributed to strengthening neighborhoods and improving safety while helping hundreds of families reestablish pride in home ownership.
Problem Solving
Recipients of 6 Stones’ services come to the organization’s attention through various means, often through cities’ code enforcement officers who would prefer problems be remedied than to collect fines, according to Trasa Cobern, 6 Stones’ chief development officer. The cities and the non-profit collaborate, with the cities paying one-third of the costs. Then 6 Stones provides the remainder through funds, volunteer labor, and in-kind donations.
This weekend, 6 Stones projects were ongoing for 27 homes in the cities of Bedford, Euless, Hurst, and Grapevine, which will bring the total number of rehabilitated houses to 902, Cobern said. The celebratory 900th house belongs to a disabled veteran in Bedford, while the 800th house was in Hurst and the 700th house in Euless.
Leney predicts enough sunny skies ahead that home repair number 1,000 is just a year and a half in the future.
Visit their website to learn more about 6 Stones.
