Carol’s House Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
On October 8, 2004, a crowd of seventy community supporters, building industry
leaders and elected officials joined with HomeAid San Diego and its project
partners, Shea Homes San Diego and the Community Resource Center at the
Encinitas City Hall to celebrate the completion of Carol’s House, a shelter for
women and children who are escaping domestic violence.
Carol’s House was the fourth shelter project completed by HomeAid San Diego in
the three years since the organization was established in March 2002, and the
first to assist victims of domestic violence. Although law enforcement agencies
within the city and county of San Diego annually respond to over 20,0-00 calls
of domestic violence, there are only 246 shelter beds available county-wide for
victims and their children. According to Mark Read, HomeAid San Diego’s then
board president, “Carol’s House provided an ideal opportunity for our
organization to tap the resources of the building and real estate industries to
provide safe shelter for women and children in crisis.” Carol’s House was
generously supported by gifts from Price Charities and Union Bank of California
Foundation.
Construction of Carol’s House was the culmination of many years of planning by
the Community Resource Center, a non-profit organization that provides
comprehensive social services to residents of San Diego’s north coastal region.
The agency’s former facility, built in the 1950’s, was overcrowded and in need
of significant repairs and renovation. Plans for Carol’s House came to life in
October 2003 when HomeAid San Diego contacted the Community Resource Center with
an offer to help. HomeAid San Diego enlisted the participation of leading
residential home builder, Shea Homes San Diego to take the lead as Builder
Captain for the project.
Carol’s House was the second time in recent months that HomeAid and Shea Homes
had teamed up to help families in need. In early June, Shea Homes and HomeAid
America, joined forces with the producers of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to
build a new home from the ground up in seven days for the Garay family in Los
Angeles.
Drawing on the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” experience, Shea Homes’ San
Diego division applied its expertise to complete a similar “rapid build” on
Carol’s House. With cooperation from the City of Encinitas, construction got
underway in late August and was finished eighteen working days later. Shea
Homes San Diego and a team of over seventy-five trade partners and suppliers
worked six days a week to build the twenty-four bed facility. Nearly all of the
labor and materials for the $350,000 project were donated by Shea Homes San
Diego and its’ trade partners, subcontractors and suppliers.
According to Laurin Pause, Executive Director of the Community Resource Center,
the welcoming, comfortable living spaces at the new shelter have made a huge
difference for the clients. With bed space for 24 women and children, Carol’s
House more than doubles the capacity of the agency’s previous shelter. Carol’s
House features eight bedrooms, a fully remodeled kitchen complete with granite
counter tops, a communal dining area, great rooms on both floors 3 ½ bathrooms
and staff office space. In addition to safe shelter, clients receive the
services they need to live independent and self-sufficient lives.