For a program that promotes rebuilding the lives of young people to take on the restoration of old cars, seems like a perfect fit.
The House of Hope, located just south of Traverse City, is a Christian inter-denominational, magnet boarding school for teens in crisis where teens can feel safe and rebuild broken family relationships. The curriculum, teaching discipline and responsibility, has a new addition, one that they hope will eventually bring a stream of income into the program.
"The project came about after we started taking boys into the program just over two years ago. Being able to achieve accomplishments is a big part of the program. We thought that this would be a good fit,” said Harry Round, president of House of Hope.
The House of Hope Restoration Project brings together students - both young men and women - with volunteer instructors from the Twin Bay British Car Club. The mentors and car enthusiasts made weekly visits to the campus to work on the recently completed classic '78 CJ7 Jeep.
"The Jeep is perfect. They did an outstanding job,” said Round, who donated the vehicle he said had been "a bag of bolts.”
After spending the winter working on the project in the facility's unheated barn, the House of Hope eagerly took on plans to build a separate 40' by 60' garage - including three bays, adequate lighting and heat and proper tools to keep the project thriving. That soon to be finished facility was dedicated during a Memorial Day picnic on Monday.
All labor, electrical, tools and equipment, as well as drywall and insulation have been donated for the garage, which will soon be up and ready - waiting for a new project.
"The plan is to have people, who may have a vehicle just sitting in their barn, donate them to be restored by our kids,” said Round, who hopes that the project will become a money maker for the program funded by parents, churches, grants, foundations, businesses and individuals. The House of Hope has welcomed 94 residents to the program since opening in 2001.
For more information on the House of Hope or the Restoration Project, call 946-5350.