The Presbyterian Home for Children dedicated another new tiny cottage duplex in a ceremony on June 18.
The tiny cottages were dedicated to Second Presbyterian Church in Homewood in recognition of the church’s $300,000 donation for construction of the duplex and other campus improvements. The cottages built by Davis Builders, Inc. of Talladega are appropriately named Hope and Faith.
In 2017, the Presbyterian Home for Children in Talladega started construction of Union Village, a permanent supportive housing community for individuals who are Deaf, Blind, DeafBlind or multi-disabled. The Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind provides crucial support to Union Village to help empower these individuals to live the independent life of their choosing. This type of housing community that serves this vulnerable population is both unique and unmatched in the nation.
Union Village’s growth has been made possible with the help of partners like Building & Earth Sciences Inc. of Birmingham, which provided their expertise in the beginning to prepare the site for the tiny cottage construction.
Building & Earth Sciences provided geotechnical investigations and construction materials testing to help transform some of the Home’s beautiful farmland into a place where individuals with disabilities and support needs can live independently and thrive at Union Village.
“We were honored to be involved with a project like this from the ground up,” said Matt Adams, Principal and Director of Corporate Client Development for Building & Earth. “Knowing that our expertise directly contributed to creating a safe and stable environment for Union Village’s residents is incredibly rewarding.”
Adams and his team said seeing the vision of Union Village come to life, with its innovative approach to providing independent living for so many individuals in need, reinforces their belief that their projects make a tangible difference in people’s lives.
“Building & Earth Sciences is honored to use our expertise where it is needed most in support of Union Village at the Home, which has a 157-year legacy of providing support services to meet critical needs in the community,” Adams said. “Witnessing the mission grow, especially with the recent dedication for the new duplex, truly underscores the profound impact of projects.”
Second Presbyterian was able to donate funds for the newest construction through the sale of their church property in Homewood after the congregation merged in October with Edgewood Presbyterian, which is also in Homewood.
Donating funds to a meaningful mission like Union Village allows Second Presbyterian to live on through its legacy and continue giving back to those in need, church officials said.
Doug Marshall, the Home’s President and CEO, said, “We are pleased and blessed that the Second Presbyterian Church thought of us as a way to create a lasting legacy for the church after its historic and faithful mission partnership with the Home.”
Phase 1 of PHFC’s Union Village housing community was completed in 2017 and has the capacity to serve up to 30 residents in five large cottages. The new duplex brings to 12 the number of tiny cottages (two 500-square-foot homes per duplex) available in Union Village for individual residents. The Home plans to eventually have 42 tiny cottages.
All of Union Village’s cottages provide special accommodations and accessibility to residents. Each home is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and includes zero-step entry into the house. The homes also include strategic placement of lighting and sensory-assist devices, assistive technology, and keyless entry. In addition to the cottages, the Union Village community includes walkways, gardens, patios, and picnic areas.
AIDB’s close proximity to PHFC’s campus, located just a half mile away, presents a unique opportunity to provide residents with wrap-around supportive services. Services include employment opportunities; job coaching; advocacy; case management; assistive technology; transportation; meal delivery; support groups; center-based activities of daily living classes; Braille production for Blind consumers; consumer education workshops; social services; a lending library; video relay phones; and a consumer store. Residents also have access to a full-time residential manager, part-time nurse practitioner, and full-time maintenance worker.
Rental income from Union Village provides an additional funding source for PHFC, which serves at-risk and homeless children, youth, and families in addition to young female adults in crisis.
