MUSKEGON COUNTY, Mich. — Jeff Steele made it his mission to be a ray of hope for foster children for the last 10 years. His organization Kids Belong is a non-profit that believes every child deserves a family and a home.
He plans to build seven duplexes over the next few years to house children who've aged out of the foster care system on his own 5-acre property.
“We support foster parents and foster families because we believe that support for foster and adopt families makes better outcomes for kids,” executive director Jeff Steele said. The more support we can put in, the better the outcomes are for everybody involved."
So far, one of the seven duplexes with two apartments is finished and fully furnished and currently occupied by two residents. They benefit from stable housing, ongoing mentorship and support that eventually will allow them to become independent and productive members of society. It's all part of a two-year plan that prepares them to become self-sufficient.
"This is a fully furnished 550 square foot one bedroom, one bath apartment, it has a full laundry room, everything is included that you need,” Steele said. "You can come and move into one of these apartments having nothing, and we will get you started with that."
Through private donors and other sources of fundraising, Kids Belong has been able to secure more than half a million dollars to fund the project. Two duplex homes are in the process of being built and are expected to be completed this upcoming fall. Despite some setbacks and challenges, Steele is optimistic.
"It is a wild roller coaster ride, it has its ups and its downs for sure, but every time a building goes up like the one I’m standing in now, we're just amazed,” Steele said.
In the next couple of years, he expects to have all seven duplexes completed with apartments for 14 young adults.
The two-year program offers youth affordable housing while establishing a rental history, with the opportunity to put utilities in their name later, and work on building their credit history.
The organization relies on the generosity of donors, and if you’d like to donate, you can visit their website.
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