Isaiah 117 House continues to march towards home in Putnam County

Shepherd said there is not a timeline for when the house will be completed, due to the fact much of the labor and materials are donated. 

The foundation for the basement has been poured and the framing is starting to go up and resemble a house, as Isaiah 117 House Putnam County is seeing big things take place for its future house to help children placed in foster care. 

After breaking ground earlier this year and having a few minor setbacks, Isaiah 117 House Putnam County director Rissa Shepherd said work is going well. 

"We are at a really exciting point. We broke ground in May and didn't start construction until August. There were things underground that nobody knew was there and we lost months of construction time, but it is coming together nicely now," Shepherd told the Putnam County Post. 

Shepherd said a lot of people have donated time and materials to help get the house built and established within the county. 

"I see God every day providing the things we need. I feel so blessed because I have a front row seat to all the pieces coming together. People understand what these children go through and their lives just change. The kids will tell you removal day is the worst day of their life and to bring them to this beautiful home and give them things they may not have ever had before is special," Shepherd said. 

And, when it is complete, Shepherd said the house will help serve children who are removed from their homes for neglect, abuse and trauma. 

"The first thing we do is we want to reduce trauma for the children removed from their home. It is a rough day for them. They lose everything they are familiar with, and they lose their parents and go away from their home. We want to provide a place other than the office for them to wait for placement. With an Isaiah 117 House, we can put the kids in new clothes, pack them a bag with possessions of their own, love on them and provide a whole different environment," Shepherd said.  

Shepherd said the issue is a "prevalent" one in Putnam County. 

"It is prevalent in Putnam County. There is a lot of drug addiction, alcoholism, and a lot of parents are kind of checked out. It's not necessarily abuse, but neglect where there is nobody actually watching those kids. It's not just Putnam County, but it is in all of our surrounding counties," Shepherd said. 

Shepherd said there is not a timeline for when the house will be completed, due to the fact much of the labor and materials are donated. 

"I am hoping by the end of the year construction is done. We will have a 12 week gap from the time construction is done to train people, and get everything in place. Then we will have a ribbon cutting and want the community to come and walk through the house and see what it is like. You just feel God in that place. He is there and He cares about these children," Shepherd said.