COPPERAS COVE, Texas — Thousands of Americans deal with homelessness every day and many just need a little help to get back on their feet.
The Cove House is a place where people get a hand up not a handout.
”We run a program that we call the firm foundation program,” said Brian Hawkins, Executive Director of Cove House. “We want to make sure that they have everything that they need to plant their feet on solid footing and then move forward.”
That starts with getting a job and paying off debts while working to become financially stable to move into a permanent home.
A blessing for folks like Damien Wright, who is currently staying at the Cove House.
”I’ve been on this earth for 43 years, and I've never heard of a place like this that’s willing to do everything that they’ve done for me,” Wright said. “So, there should be more places like this nationwide.”
In 2022 alone, the Cove House had to turn away over 100 families due to a lack of space.
A problem they hope to change with a nearly $900K expansion project, but day one hit a snag.
The goal for Thursday was to start tearing down an adjacent house to make room for a duplex, but when they started clearing a bush, they found a pressurized gas line.
Stopping that part of the project instantly, but thankfully, it only sets them back a couple weeks.
”Once the duplex is built, we’ll move our men and women from the two houses on Main Street into the duplex and them move the two houses and put a six-plex there,” Hawkins said.
A massive expansion, Wright said, will help a lot more people like him.
”Everybody goes through hard times,” Wright said. “Whether it’s really bad or just whatever the case may be. So, sometimes you may need a place like this.”
The Cove House is a nonprofit organization that relies heavily on the generosity of the community to keep helping those trying to help themselves.
”Everybody here is really trying hard to move forward and back out on their feet,” Hawkins said. “It’s just hard to do when you’ve had some devastating loss and are now at zero, it’s just hard to land somewhere long enough to put your life back together. That's the opportunity that we provide here at the shelter.”
Even with the gas line hiccup, they plan to have the expansion done by October of 2024.
