THE HISTORY OF FREEDOM HOUSE
A Community Comes Together
In 2004, two local charities devoted to assisting the homeless and less fortunate with food, clothing, housing and other services, had to relocate from their home, The Spirit of Liberty Building. Initially, local church leaders investigated a solution and then recruited the help of several community members to act as a Steering Committee to select a Board of Directors and form a new 501(c)(3) entity, eventually named Freedom House. Their plan was straightforward: create an accessible location under one roof for local faith-based charities to provide assistance to those in need in our community.
The first fundraising events were held at two local businesses, B&B Theatres and Gary Crossley Ford, and attracted several hundred members of the community. These members began to spread the word and encourage everyone in the community to support Freedom House through generous contributions of their time and talents.
Following the initial fundraising events, the generosity from the community contained to grow. Individuals, businesses, and community groups donated countless hours of time, talent, and in-kind professional contributions to assist with the development and construction of Freedom House. The Steering Committee and Board of Directors broke ground for Freedom House on May 22, 2007.
Before the doors of Freedom House were even opened, the Board of Directors, recognizing that the need for assistance in the community was intensifying, hosted a soup and sandwich line charitable event at the unfinished Freedom House construction site.
Freedom House officially opened in February 2008 with four charitable groups located in the building: Love, INC, In As Much Ministry, Hillcrest Ministries, and Rebuilding Together Clay County. Only through the enormous generosity of individuals, businesses, community groups adn professional donors, as well as countless hours of donated time, talent, and in-kind contributions, was Freedom House envisioned, built, and completely paid for over a six-year period.
Unfortunately, it seems that the demand for assistance for our less fortunate families and individuals is not declining. It is our hope that Freedom House will continue to grow through the generosity of our community and serve those in need.