Ty Pennington and the cast from ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ surprised one Houston Bay Area family on January 7th with the news that they had been chosen as the finalists in receiving a brand new home. This was more than a nice surprise; this was an overwhelming birthday present for Melissa Beach as she turned 40 that day. The family of 15 had been displaced from their home when Hurricane Ike made its way through the area on September 13, 2008. In seven short days , from January 7 to January 14, hundreds of volunteers and vendors worked together to create a new space this family could call home.
The Beach family has stood strong in the face of odds and challenges. Over the past 12 years the Beach family has fostered approximately 85 children, and after seeing that many of them could not be placed in permanent homes they decided to start adopting. The original Beach family which started with Larry and Melissa on the day they were married 23 years ago, has grown to include four biological children and nine adopted children: Chris (23), Michael (21), Jose (20), Cody (19), Mikala (18), Paul (14), Faith (13), Hope (9), Justin (8), Jacob (4), Grace (4), Jeremiah (23 months), and Mercy (22 months). They took in children that adoption agencies were not able to place and gave them a home full of love.
It’s true that “home is where the heart is” and this family’s home was with each other, though that was in a trailer on their property after their house was damaged in the hurricane. They lived in an 18-foot travel trailer with one toilet, a hot water tank that only held 6 gallons, and a gas grill for cooking. After the birthday surprise of a new house on the way, the Beach family was whisked away to Disney World for a much needed vacation while their home was under construction.
After just seven days, volunteers gathered on January 14, waving American and Texas flags, showing their love and support as they welcomed the Beach family home. Their new house was completed in 106 hours by a team of vendors and volunteers led by Blu Shields Construction. They bundled up in the face of the cold to make this dream come true for this Houston family. The home design included eight bedrooms, 4 ½ baths, an elevator, therapy room, rooftop panels, with a classroom and “decent kitchen” per Melissa’s request, all under the 6,340-square-foot, two-story home.
The show detailing the Beach Family Project will air in March on ABC. The show airs Sundays from 8:00-9:00pm, C.T. on ABC 13. Just as this family is never too small or too large, so no donation is too small or too large to benefit this awe inspiring project. “Because the house is considered a complete donation, the family will not be responsible for a mortgage or property taxes,” said Patrick Henderson, CEO of Energy Solution Homes, Blu Shields’ parent company. The first year of utilities will also be free. The new home will allow the family to begin adopting again, welcoming more children in need into their family.
To show your support by making a donation, or to see pictures of the project and read more about the team who made this possible, please visit www.blushieldsextreme.com