Tierra de Esperanza (TdE), or “Land of Hope,” is a 23-home development in the small town of Woodsboro, Texas. It is a partnership between Coastal Bend Disaster Recovery Group (CBDRG), Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS), Disaster Aid Ohio, Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi, Rebuild Texas, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, Week of Compassion, and the town of Woodsboro. Tierra de Esperanza development was part of the Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts in the Texas Coastal Bend.
It began with a vision and tenacity
Early 2019 sparked the vision for Tierra de Esperanza. Christine Cornejo—at that time program officer of the Rebuild Texas Fund—contacted Tom Smucker, Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) Hurricane Harvey Coordinator asking how MDS could help in Woodsboro. “She pushed and pushed to get MDS to come down to Refugio County and see what they have here,” Smucker said. “It began with a vision and with tenacity.” Cornejo remembered that very first conversation. “I said to Tom, ‘I need you to come see: come see that there’s a need for new households here—it’s not just repair work.’ He said he had a few minutes. I said, ‘that’s all I need.’”
The Timeline
- 8/20/2020 – Land Purchased
- 9/23/2020 – Groundbreaking Ceremony
- 3/25/2021 – 1st Homes Giveaway for 13 homes.
- 5/20/2021 – 2nd & Final Home Giveaway for the last 10 homes.
9 months from groundbreaking to completion
“It took an army of willing souls, and hundreds of skilled hands with big hearts to go from a vacant lot to 23 new homes”.
– Donna Rosson CBDRG Board President
It Takes a Coalition
- CBDRG purchased the 3.6 acres of land for the 23 homes and provided Case Management.
- MDS & Disaster Aid Ohio provided the 30,000
volunteer hours to build the homes. - Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi provided funding
and a base camp (Housing) for the volunteers at Our Lady of
Refuge Catholic Church in Refugio, TX. - Town of Woodsboro provided culverts, sewer lines, water lines,
and waived the tap fees.
The Builders
Disaster Aid Ohio provided the 30,000 volunteer labor hours needed for the construction of the 23 homes in Woodsboro Texas. The volunteers rotated every 2 weeks. Due to the distance (1,400 miles), they were able to work for 10 days before returning to Ohio on a 22-hour bus ride.
Construction called for framers, masons, painters, and finishers as well as electricians and plumbers. Planning, coordination, and execution was key to the development of the Tierra de Esperanza.
The Engineer
Les Selensky from WindShore Engineering LLC discusses the resiliency planning that went into the new homes built by CBDRG.
Homes rebuilt by CBDRG met or exceeded the standards required to get Windstorm Insurance.
Les estimates that approximately 909.36 Cubic Yards of concrete (100 Concrete Trucks) were used to build these 23 homes.
Survivor Story One
Here is the story of a single mother dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey and what it means to receive help with her family’s recovery.
1st Home Dedication
On March 25, 2021 we celebrated the Home Dedication for the first 13 homes completed. Each of the homeowners received their key to their new home along with a house warming gift from Disaster Aid Ohio and a handmade quilt from Mennonites Disaster Services (MDS).
Every time it rained, sisters Barbara and Willie put buckets under the leaking ceiling, until part of the ceiling simply fell. Mold began growing up the walls, exacerbating Barbara’s
asthma. Moving into a brand new home was a dream come true.
The Greens received keys to their new house at the March 25, 2021 dedication ceremony. “That’s another first,” said Willie. “I’ve never had a house with a key, in all those years. Can you believe that?” Now the Green sisters call their home “a generational house”—one they plan to pass down to their children, and grandchildren who needs a place to live.
Thank You to Our Partners
