Newest location one of 12 underway or planned across Tennessee
SULLIVAN COUNTY, Tenn. — Isaiah 117 House broke ground today for its newest location in Sullivan County, Tennessee. The nonprofit organization provides homes that care for and support children while they transition from the Department of Children’s Services (DCS) into the care of foster families.
Children who are placed with DCS remain in the care of state workers, and sometimes reside in state facilities, while they await the availability of a foster home. During this time, which can be disorienting and challenging for children, Isaiah 117 Houses offer a friendly, safe environment, emotional and physical support, and needed supplies, such as clothing and hygiene products.
“We are excited to begin construction on our Sullivan County house,” says Ronda Paulson, executive director of the Isaiah 117 House. “Once complete, this home will mark our fourth location in Tennessee. We are incredibly grateful and humbled by the tremendous manner in which the community has rallied around this project, which would not have been possible without their support. We look forward to providing this safe haven for area children who have been removed from their homes and await placement in foster care.”
The Sullivan County home is being constructed on land donated by Discovery Church in Bristol, Tennessee, and will be located next to the church. Slated for opening in March 2020, the 1,600-square-foot house will offer a girls’ bedroom, a boys’ bedroom, bathroom, laundry room, kitchen and living room, along with office and storage space.
The region’s first Isaiah 117 House was founded last year in Elizabethton, Tennessee, and serves children from Carter, Unicoi and Johnson counties. A second house opened earlier this month in Washington County, Tennessee, and a third home will open later this fall in Greene County.
The nonprofit plans to open houses in additional Tennessee counties, including Blount, Bradley, Cocke and Rutherford, along with a home serving Coffee, Grundy and Franklin counties. Plans are also in place to construct a home in Evansville, Indiana.
For more information about Isaiah 117 House, contact Paulson at 423-773-5677 or via email at info@isaiah117house.com.
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Isaiah 1:17 says: “Defend the cause of the fatherless.”
We believe this is God’s call for this ministry.