Volunteer Initiative is a group of architecture students devoted to using their gifts and talents to serve the community. The team took root when Garrett Brown started volunteering at the Methodist Mission Home (MMH) and witnessed firsthand the authenticity and influence propelling the ministry. This in turn inspired Garrett to consider the possibility of fusing his faith pursuit of “reading, learning, and serving” with his passion for design on the MMH campus. Garrett knew he needed a team to execute his architectural aspirations, so he began piecing together a group of exceptional individuals in the spring of 2010. Not long after, Benjamin Rosas, Daiki Tsutsumi, and Aldo Vega eagerly committed to the proposal, and thus, Volunteer Initiative was set into motion.

The team united around the concept of a pavilion and site renovations at the Methodist Mission Home’s Southwest Center of Higher Independence (SCHI), a facility committed to offering young adults with disabilities a transitional education to prepare them for independent living. The structure’s shape was intended to mirror God’s hands as the young adults with disabilities literally “rest in the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1). The site plans also include an art display area that will showcase painted stones made by SCHI students. Ultimately, Volunteer Initiative hopes the pavilion will be a gathering space that invites meaningful community-building opportunities for everyone at the Methodist Mission Home.

To see plans for the entire project click here. (Must have Adobe Acrobat to download PDF).

Keep up with the progress of the project at the Volunteer Initiative Facebook page here.

If you would like to volunteer on the project contact Garret Brown at (214) 717-7503.