LONGVIEW, Texas — When it comes to serving those in need, the Heartisans Marketplace in Longview, illustrates that with the services they offer to underserved women.
The faith-based organization is now in the works to add housing to its list of services, which will consist of eight cottages.
“It’s a really big project and by doing this work we help women improve upon their situation, which improves our entire community," Hollins said.
The project is known as Heartisans Village and will be built behind the Heartisans Marketplace on 3501 Gilmer Road.
“The cottages will go back in this area, we'll have a play area in the middle for the kids and we'll have a laundry facility for the women to use as well,” Hollins said.
The organization’s mission behind this project is to help transform the lives of homeless or underserved women.
“We've had women in domestic violence type situations, we've had homelessness, we've had women overcoming addiction and poverty,” Hollins said. “Just watching these women's lives change is just something that's so valuable to our entire society.”
Through the organization's job-readiness program, women will be placed to live in these cottages for up to two years or until they can get back on their feet.
"We just want the women to live in a safe place where they can grow, save money and hopefully get back on their feet with better credit, better finances and maybe be able to purchase a home and just have a fresh start,” Hollins said.
It's a project that's been in the works for about a year and a half and is slowly but surely starting to take shape. Hollins said the community’s support and donations to fund this project have made it possible to begin some groundwork.
“Primarily this project is all from the company and individual donations,” Hollins added. “Just general support and our community, our nonprofit network, have been so supportive, just really seeing a need for this kind of living environment.”
The development will consist of four duplex buildings that will have eight cottages. Each one will be able to house two women per household, including children.
The director said they hope to begin construction by January 2023. The organization has raised $125,000 of its $1.2 million goal.
To learn more about the Heartisans Marketplace or to join in on the initiative, click here.