By Curt Williams, Founder & Executive Director
A while back I was talking to a friend who shared with me the story of a ministry property much larger than ours here at Youth-Reach Houston that has been delaying needed maintenance for years. Now they are facing millions of dollars of deferred maintenance on grounds, mechanical equipment and facilities. This took place because earlier leadership chose to kick the can down the road, and left those in the future to grapple with these mounting challenges.
We are not going to take that course of action. The buildings that we have constructed here on our campus are strong, built with purposely durable materials, and with outstanding energy efficiency in mind. Yet we also inherited some buildings, like the very first home we purchased and moved into in 1991 and its neighbor that we later purchased. These two brick homes were built in 1972 and 1973, along with detached garages. These homes have been used far beyond their designer’s or builder’s imaginations. They have been inhabited 24/7 by an unending parade of teenage boys. Doors need to be replaced, painting needs to be done and the interior punch list is extensive.
On the exteriors, there are two buildings with roofs, siding and soffits that need to be replaced. We have water damage that needs to be addressed and a host of other jobs large and small.
Now I realize that this is not the most attractive fundraiser you have ever seen. I’m not going to show you pictures of orphans or tell you a heartfelt story in hopes of prying open your wallet. Admittedly, this is not a sexy sell. A few years ago I was $10,000 short on a capital project that was somewhat like this; an effort to build a large pole barn for our tractor, mowers and other equipment. I called my friend Austin and I told him, “Austin, I have a very un-sexy need here at Youth-Reach and I would like to tell you about it.” I shared with him what we had raised so far, what the need was, and that I needed $10,000 to complete it. He listened, and then he said, “I like those un-sexy needs. I’ll send you that money today.” Sometimes the need is not as attractive as you would like it to be, but that in no way diminishes the imperative of the need.
Today, the total need for all of our maintenance updates and upgrades is $50,000. David Williams, who is preparing to step into my role in a few years, was talking to me about the list of needs, and I told him I believed that among our supporters and sponsoring churches, we could raise this amount in a month or two. I prayed about this, and the Lord has led me to share this with you. Now, if you already support Youth-Reach regularly, please do not divert that giving to this need, as these boys will still need to eat. But if you would like to participate in our Campaign to Maintain, you can click the button below to donate or you can send a special check and footnote it Campaign to Maintain.
I will keep you updated as we move towards our goal of raising the $50,000 and being good stewards of all the Lord has provided for Youth-Reach Houston. Thank you for considering this need!
