A wave of excitement swept through the crowds of attendees at Bread of Life's ‘Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth' rebuilding ceremony.
This atmosphere stemmed from the ongoing transformation of the Center into accessible housing and was further intensified by the unexpected presence of Beyoncé and Tina Knowles-Lawson.
The mother-daughter duo showed their commitment to the housing initiative, further illustrating the very might of a united community.
The Knowles-Rowland Center was built in 1999 with funding from Beyonce, her Destiny’s Child bandmate, Kelly Rowland, and the Knowles family.
It was gifted to St. Johns Downtown and Bread of Life Inc. Communities, and from there, the center served as a youth summer camp, senior community center, and overnight housing for the unsheltered. This was until a fire struck in March of 2021.
Since the fire, the building has been used as a warehouse to store relief items for distribution.
Bread of Life Inc. is spearheading the initiative to re-purpose the center
into affordable housing for the homeless and vulnerable youths.
“ I think this is a great idea especially with the youth now needing guidance,” Senior Program Manager for Turner and Townsend Heery, Ernest Crawford said, “I think it helps to invest back into the community. Although this building caught fire back in 2021, everyone came back to make sure this was a part of the community.”
Investors, friends, and media outlets made appearances in honor of the ongoing changes in the community with the new developments at hand.
Giving back to the community is the primary goal of the non-profit organization.
Community, in its entirety, has brought The Knowles family in contact with Bread of Life Inc. and St. Johns.
Because of the communal connection, the Knowles-Rowland Center can transform.
This new development will offer 31 units of housing to those in need.
“Housing is the bedrock of every community, so affordable housing really matters,” President and CEO of Houston Housing Authorities, David Northern, added “For young people to get this start in a community like this in Houston with affordable housing to be secure is just amazing.”
In support of the initiative, Tina and Beyoncé shared their excitement about the new developments and the sentiment behind the growth of each project Bread of Life executes.
“ This place is just a really special, really genuine place,” Tina Knowles-Lawson added, “ This is home and I just appreciate the support.”
The Chief Executive Officer of Bread of Life, Yvette Tarrant, also offered her excitement for the project and support during the event.
“ This building has a lot of history and we’ve done a lot with it.,” Tarrant said, “We are looking forward to what's to come.”
This new repurposed center for housing will begin and finalize construction by the end of 2024.
Become a part of the movement by donating your time, talent, or your funds to www.breadoflifeinc.org.