'A blessing for so many': Groundbreaking held for new Isaiah 117 House

Pierce, who is the Isaiah 117 House state director, said the houses exist to reduce trauma for children on their hardest days by giving them a safe, loving place to stay while they transition into foster care.

During Sunday’s ceremony Pierce shared the story of a 17-year-old boy who was brought to one of Tennessee’s 22 Isaiah 117 Houses in shackles.

“The first time you see a child in shackles it’s like a sucker punch,” Pierce said. “He had made a bad decision — no doubt repercussions of a really hard life that he had lived in his 17 years. He was so sweet, and so polite, and so grateful for everything we were doing. He was nervous and he had a lot of questions about where he was going, what was going to happen to him, what he could he take with him.”

Pierce added, “We were sitting and talking, and at the end of the conversation he said, this feels like a real home. I just knew in that moment that no matter what happened to this kid, while he was with us in our home, he felt safe, he felt worthy, and felt loved, and that’s what our homes are all about.”

‘A blessing for so many’

Dozens of community members including volunteers, local officials, clergy, and other supporters endured chilly wet weather to participate in Sunday’s groundbreaking for the new Isaiah 117 House which will serve Hawkins and Hancock counties. A video of the groundbreaking ceremony can be seen in the online version of this article at www.therogersvillereview.com

The house will be constructed on a piece of vacant land in the Carters Valley community with the assistance of a $300,000 allocation approved by the Hawkins County Commission from its $1.6 million Baby Doe opioid lawsuit settlement.

County Mayor Mark DeWitte opened Sunday’s ceremony with a prayer and a few remarks.

“This place is going to be a blessing for so many,” DeWitte said. “I know a lot of you are personally invested in making this dream a reality, and I thank you so much for that. I’m also thankful for the county commissioners who saw fit to invest in the project as well, especially for (former) Commissioner Keith Gibson, whose idea it was to bring that to the commission. It’s going to serve many young people for years to come. ”

DeWitte said the occasion reminded him of an excerpt from the Bible, which he quoted for the audience.

Mark 10:13-16: “People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.”

DeWitte added, “I can see many children being blessed by God through this house.”

‘A place for them to come feel love’

Alison Osborne, who is program director of the new Hawkins/Hancock location, said she was attracted to the project as an opportunity to be there for children who need someone in their life to love them.

“I had foster families that had been in and out of my life for several years,” Osborne said. “To hear their stories, and to know it’s these kids that I know who were sitting in the DCS office with nothing to do, just waiting for a placement. It breaks my heart to know they went through that, so this is a place for them to come feel love that we so desperately want them to feel.”

Osborne added, “My kids are growing up with kids who are being raised by grandparents or foster families, so these kids are coming into my life through them. Just to know we can make a difference right here in our community is something I’ve been blessed to do.”

The new Isaiah 117 House is expected to be completed in 2024.