The Gunnarsons are calling it “The Father’s House,” and are overseeing the renovation of the mansion and five other buildings on the site to house six families that could provide foster care for at least two children each, an apartment for a caretaker and two apartments available to house “prayer missionaries,” college students who will come for stays of six to nine months to provide constant prayer vigils, the Gunnarsons said.
“Our goal is to break the cycle of children being moved from one foster family to another,” Roxann Gunnarson said.
“One issue we can address is splitting up siblings,” Gunnarson said. “We will be able to keep large families of children together. Even though they might be placed with different families, they’ll still be able to see each other every day.”
In addition, they plan to turn the first floor of the mansion and other rooms into areas for community use. They plan for a dining hall, a library and prayer room, a resource center for other adopting or foster care families, a community garden, a space for special events and to provide space for The Caring Closet, a local agency that provides clothing and personal care items to low-income children in the Hamilton City School District.
“We hope to have it up and running in two to three years,” Daryl Gunnarson said, “but it depends on how the fund-raising and the work on the property goes.”
He said that he hopes to raise about $1.5 million in cash for the project, which seems like a low figure for the amount of work to be done, but he’s also counting on a lot of volunteer effort and donations of materials. He’s already received $25,000 worth of cabinets as well as flooring and new windows from donors, and an Eagle Scout candidate excavated a patio as part of his community service project.
“God knows when it’s time, and he’s been more than faithful,” he said.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2188 or rjones@coxohio.com.
About the Author