For months, in a back lot at Meridian Baptist Church, it was all hands on deck.
Dozens of volunteers showed up every Saturday to help build mini cabins for unsheltered women and children. Some were more experienced than others.
“I used a staple gun for the first time,” said one of the volunteers.
But they all had one thing in common: wanting to help their community.
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“It’s going to help so many people; mothers, and children, get out of the street and get a good night's sleep feeling safe in their very own space,” said Lorena Taylor, a volunteer.
Led by Amikas, a group that helps women and children have a safe place to sleep at night, community volunteers helped build six cabins.
“[It will be] a place that they know they are loved and valued and secure,” said Pastor Rolland Slade of Meridian Baptist Church. “[They will] know that there are people that are on their side and want to help them.”
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The project had been years in the making. Amikas first proposed it to the city five years ago, then in 2020, after Meridian Church gave them the green light to build a demonstration cabin on their site the city council finally approved their plan.
The program is under pilot mode until 2023 with permission for six cabins.
“It's been a long time, a lot of advocacy, a lot of people coming together feeling like this is the right thing to do to create a new option for housing,” said Shanna Welch-Levin, president of Amikas.
The mini cabins will include a bed, desk, and computer. They are 12ft. by 12ft. with 96 square feet of living space. They will have Wi-Fi, heaters, and electricity but no plumbing. Residents will be able to use the church’s bathrooms and mobile showers will be made available.
“Our mission as a church is to love people and be a blessing in this community and that's what these cabins are going to do,” said Pastor Slade. “They’re going to show our love and be a blessing to the people that go through them.”
Now, that the cabins are complete, Home Start, a non-profit that provides housing for young mothers, will refer clients to stay in the cabins. The women will be able to stay for up to 90 days.
“I’m excited about our village but I’m excited that there will be others who will watch this and say, ‘Well why can't we do it in our church or our property?' and multiply,'” said Pastor Slade.
All items inside the cabins have come in the form of donations. The group continues to take donations.
For more information visit their website: Amikas.
