Construction begins on two new homes for women overcoming addiction

HomeAid Atlanta, Breakthru House and home builder Taylor Morrison celebrated the groundbreaking of two new homes at Breakthru House on April 28.  The two homes will allow Breakthru House to expand its capacity to serve women overcoming substance abuse, along with their children.

For 49 years, Breakthru House has served low-income women and their children struggling with addiction by providing a long-term residential program to empower women to achieve recovery.  At the April 28 groundbreaking, Breakthru House Executive Director BreNita Jackson thanked supporters and donors. “When we change the lives of a mother and her child here at Breakthru House, we make a positive impact on the health of future generations,” she said.

Ronnie Cline, Taylor Morrison VP of Construction, will serve as HomeAid Atlanta’s volunteer Builder Captain to lead construction of the two new homes, which will grow Breakthru House’s capacity from 28 women in recovery to 48. This expansion will establish Breakthru House as the largest gender-specific treatment facility in the region.

Coach Bill Curry, Breakthru House Capital Campaign Chair, spoke about the organization’s impact and the construction partnership with HomeAid Atlanta and Taylor Morrison. “Lives are saved here every single day. When we breach barriers and join hands, our capacity for greatness increases exponentially,” he said.

Rick Carruthers, Taylor Morrison Division President, remarked, “The Taylor Morrison team is very enthusiastic about volunteering to lead this important project and excited that our trade partners are so willing to donate labor and materials. We jumped at this chance to give back in such a unique and meaningful way.”

Carol Morgan, Denimin Marketing Founder and President and HomeAid Atlanta board member, was present at the event. She commented, “The work that Breakthru House is doing to change women’s lives is inspiring. I am thankful there is a place in Atlanta for women to recover and learn to thrive and stand on their own.”

Construction will consist of demolishing an existing house and construction of two new homes. The estimated value of the project is over $1.6M. Over HomeAid’s 20-plus year history, projects like this average a 50% in-kind donation rate, a substantial cost savings that can be reinvested into life-changing programs that help people like one July 2022 Breakthru House graduate who spoke at the groundbreaking event.

Prior to entering the program, she was homeless like many of the women Breakthru House serves. She shared her gratitude for her experience there. “When I arrived, I was broken, miserable, addicted, and had nothing to my name. Going through the program, I genuinely felt love. Every staff member truly touched my life. I learned that I am worthy and can stand on my own, taking care of myself. I have learned that the numbers of people struggling with addiction, relapse, and death from addiction in the US are overwhelming. I’m so grateful for my experience at Breakthru House; it truly saved my life.”

HomeAid Atlanta is a nonprofit organization founded in 2001 with a mission to help people experiencing or at risk of homelessness build new lives through construction, community engagement, and education. HomeAid builds, renovates, and maintains facilities for nonprofits serving people experiencing homelessness. HomeAid has completed over 170 construction projects at locations for victims of domestic violence, teen mothers, veterans and more, utilizing connections with building industry professionals and community organizations. HomeAid also provides essential items like diapers, wipes, and hygiene products to those affected by homelessness. HomeAid is the designated charity of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association. Learn more at www.homeaidatlanta.org.