A central Ohio nonprofit organization that buys and rehabilitates abandoned homes has finished its first renovation.
But the group's mission goes well beyond buildings. Mike Foley explains.
Franklinton Rising has ambitious plans for acquiring vacant homes, but also for helping at-risk young adults acquire life and work skills. The organization raises funds to buy the abandoned properties and hires contractors who work with young trainees. Franklinton Rising President Tom Heffner says it fills multiple needs in the city’s oldest neighborhood.
“Fifty percent of the residents in Franklinton do not have a high school degree, so we’re just hoping to get them through high school but the ones that do, they’ll be a large number that are not going on to college and what are they gonna do? There aren’t many jobs down here, there isn’t any training and yet there are all these boarded up, vacant houses so that was the seed of this whole ministry getting started. So we’re recruiting young adults – not limited to but typically 17-20 years of age - who fit that category - gonna graduate hopefully or maybe have dropped out of school. They need something to do – productive, positive – and so we’re recruiting them to teach them through classes and working under the auspices of our contractors as we rehab houses. And the idea is that through time with these young trainees, we’re gonna help them in developing jobs skills, life skills, purpose in life, help them to get full time employment - and be able to rent these houses back to them and if they’re faithful and responsible with the houses, take part of their down payment and allow them to be the owner.”
A handful of trainees finished the first house on Chicago Avenue. The organization owns three other properties currently on schedule for rehab next year. Heffner says he hopes to purchase five vacant homes annually, with about six to seven young trainees helping contractors. 18-year-old Quinton Mayle, part of the group’s first class of trainees, says he finds the life lessons as valuable as the job skills.
“There was a lot more than just building this house. We had a good environment, people to joke around with, but mostly what I learned out of this is how to be a better person. We did a lot of work on this house but we spent hours in class talking about potential, respect, characteristics – we get preached to a lot. It’s a good thing. It made me a better person and made me stay positive.”
Mayle says he hopes to continue in carpentry. For Franklinton Rising, home rehabs will typically cost more than a hundred thousand dollars, so Heffner says the big challenges are raising the funds but also the time it takes to spread the word and visit schools to find kids that are interested. The goal he says centers on helping young adults grow, learn and be productive - and hopefully they inspire others to do the same.
