On November 15, Adopt-A-Family welcomed 200 friends and supporters to celebrate as we broke ground on our new housing development, Third Avenue Homes. The ceremony signified the beginning of the next exciting chapter in Adopt-A-Family’s story.
Many memories were made during the event, making it a special milestone in Adopt-A-Family history. CEO Matt Constantine shared the backstory of Third Avenue Homes, and the dreams the agency has for it once it is complete. Third Avenue Homes will not only provide affordable housing, but will model itself after a successful program in Washington State where they bridge the gap between housing stability and educational outcomes in children. At the core of the program is a powerful partnership with the agency’s sister school, Highland Elementary, located just blocks away from the new housing complex. Highland has one of the highest populations of homeless students of any school in the county. Extensive research has shown that students will blossom in the classroom and their educational outcomes will improve when they have a stable home. Third Avenue Homes will give these students the stable home they so desperately need, and with it, hope and a head start on a stable future.
This project first became a possibility in 2014 when longtime agency friends, Tim and Jayne Donahue, generously provided the means
to purchase a plot of land adjacent to AAF’s main office in Lake Worth. This began the exciting journey into mapping out the potential for this program. As plans continued and details began to take shape, staff and members of the board started the quiet phase of fundraising the $6.6 million needed to build the housing units, a community center, as well as the funds to support the program for up to 10 years. Agency friends Nancy Kyle and Jack Fraser invited AAF into their home to present the new program, and the very next morning made a commitment so significant that it officially brought the dream of Third Avenue Homes to fruition.
Adopt-A-Family is humbled and excited to announce that the public phase of the capital campaign is now in full force, with 70% of the $6.6 million goal already raised!
In less than 18 months, 14 families will be given the gift of hope and a place to call home. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of AAF’s story, and we look forward to updating you on the project’s progress in the coming months!
For more information about Third Avenue Homes, please visit the Hope Begins with a Home page on our website here.