Our House - Residential Work Force Training Center

Since May 1993, Our House has provided a highly structured 24-hour a day residential job training program for our trainees. Our House opened on the premises of Camp Bennett in Brookeville, MD. Our House trainees learned construction skills on-the-job while spending a year renovating and repairing this camp for inner-city children sponsored by the Central Union Mission of D.C. In July of 1994, Our House moved onto the Taylor Manor Hospital complex in Ellicott City, MD. Again, our eight trainees helped to repair and re-roof several of the buildings on the property as well as to renovate a dormitory. They even transformed a building used for storage into a seven-office complex. It was also while at Taylor Manor, that Our House entered into a partnership with Howard County's Office on Aging in a pilot program known as "Aging in Place." In this program, Our House trainees volunteered to refit the homes of the elderly and the handicapped so that they could remain safely in their homes rather than having these people enter homes for the handicapped and the elderly. This program garnered both Howard County and Our House national recognition.

        It was during our stay at Taylor Manor that the Maryland Department of Human Resources, and the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services urged us to expand since Our House met their great need for a program that could help young men aging out of the juvenile system to receive skills training and earn a Maryland High School diploma. To answer this demand, Our House raised the funds to purchase a 140-acre farm ($1.5 million) located in Brookeville, MD. in Montgomery County. Our House raised an additional $900,000 to renovate the buildings on the property, which had been vacant for more than five years and had been severely vandalized, as well as to build and equip a commercial kitchen.

        We moved into our new home in December of 2002. The move allowed us to increase our enrollment to 16. It also allowed us to expand our trades program and start a state certified organic garden. The trainees are also learning entrepreneurial techniques as they market the organic produce from the garden. All monies received from the sale of produce go to the trainees who work in the garden.

        Our House is an award-winning program, which has received national and international attention. It was profiled in the October 2002 issue of PEOPLE Magazine. In June 2001, Our House was recognized at the ceremonies for the Thomas Jefferson Medal for Outstanding Public Service at the United States Supreme Court. As 1 of 47 regional winners - chosen from a pool of over 15,000 charities and agencies - Our House was honored in the presence of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.   In May 2001, Our House was the winner of the "9 Who Care Award" chosen by CBS Channel 9 from the entire Washington DC viewing area. The trainees were shown in a two and a half minute news clip on the evening news by anchor JC Hayward. In August 2000, Our House was chosen from thousands of nominees to receive the "Use Your Life Award" from the Oprah Angel network on the "Oprah" television show from Oprah Winfrey. Due to the wide exposure Our House received on the Oprah show, we get requests from all over the USA and throughout the world for information on how to replicate this program.




				History



				Since May 1993, Our House has provided a highly structured 24-hour a day residential job training program for our trainees. Our House opened on the premises of Camp Bennett in Brookeville, MD. Our House trainees learned construction skills on-the-job while spending a year renovating and repairing this camp for inner-city children sponsored by the Central Union Mission of D.C. In July of 1994, Our House moved onto the Taylor Manor Hospital complex in Ellicott City, MD. Again, our eight trainees helped to repair and re-roof several of the buildings on the property as well as to renovate a dormitory. They even transformed a building used for storage into a seven-office complex. It was also while at Taylor Manor, that Our House entered into a partnership with Howard County's Office on Aging in a pilot program known as "Aging in Place." In this program, Our House trainees volunteered to refit the homes of the elderly and the handicapped so that they could remain safely in their homes rather than having these people enter homes for the handicapped and the elderly. This program garnered both Howard County and Our House national recognition. It was during our stay at Taylor Manor that the Maryland Department of Human Resources, and the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services urged us to expand since Our House met their great need for a program that could help young men aging out of the juvenile system to receive skills training and earn a Maryland High School diploma. To answer this demand, Our House raised the funds to purchase a 140-acre farm ($1.5 million) located in Brookeville, MD. in Montgomery County. Our House raised an additional $900,000 to renovate the buildings on the property, which had been vacant for more than five years and had been severely vandalized, as well as to build and equip a commercial kitchen. We moved into our new home in December of 2002. The move allowed us to increase our enrollment to 16. It also allowed us to expand our trades program and start a state certified organic garden. The trainees are also learning entrepreneurial techniques as they market the organic produce from the garden. All monies received from the sale of produce go to the trainees who work in the garden. Our House is an award-winning program, which has received national and international attention. It was profiled in the October 2002 issue of PEOPLE Magazine. In June 2001, Our House was recognized at the ceremonies for the Thomas Jefferson Medal for Outstanding Public Service at the United States Supreme Court. As 1 of 47 regional winners - chosen from a pool of over 15,000 charities and agencies - Our House was honored in the presence of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. In May 2001, Our House was the winner of the "9 Who Care Award" chosen by CBS Channel 9 from the entire Washington DC viewing area. The trainees were shown in a two and a half minute news clip on the evening news by anchor JC Hayward. In August 2000, Our House was chosen from thousands of nominees to receive the "Use Your Life Award" from the Oprah Angel network on the "Oprah" television show from Oprah Winfrey. Due to the wide exposure Our House received on the Oprah show, we get requests from all over the USA and throughout the world for information on how to replicate this program.
	Our House is located on a 140 acre farm in Montgomery County, MD. The current dorm houses 16 young men with two trainees to a room. The dorm also has a classroom-computer room, dining room, kitchen, laundry facility and a recreation room. Adjacent to the dorm is the crib barn circa 1840, which the trainees have restored using lap siding that was used in that period. The trainees also fabricated authentic reproductions of the barn doors from that era in their wood shop. The crib barn houses tools and equipment, the pottery studio, and the small engine repair shop. The wood shop is housed in the American Legion Trades Building. This building was completely renovated by the trainees into a classroom with computer carrels and a fully outfitted wood shop. Finally, the farmhouse now houses the administrative offices and a conference room.