It’s been a long and arduous process but we’re finally in a position to really get going on rebuilding the home for Bill & Lillian Black and their children.  As you know, we started this process back in late March of 2021 after friends of the Georgetown Beard Club, Chris and Emily Hamilton, brought it to our attention that a family in our community was still feeling the effects of the February 2021 winter storm.  The family had been without running water indoors and were forced to use the outside spigot of the water well on their property for all of their household water needs.  We were also told that they had a leak in their roof that needed to be repaired so that their wheelchair bound special needs son could once again use his room.

We sprang to action to raise funds for completing what we thought at the time would be a couple of minor repairs: fix some busted water pipes and patch the hole in the roof. But when we were finally able to fully assess the situation, we realized that the home was in need of much more extensive repairs.  Undeterred, with Chris and Emily Hamilton spearheading the efforts, we redoubled our resolve to help out our Georgetown neighbors.  At every step, we realized that more and more work would need to be done to make the home livable.

We have held numerous fundraisers and reached out to our local community.  It has been a labor of love, accomplished in no small part due to the extreme generosity of the businesses and individuals in our community who have stepped up and demonstrated the giving and caring nature of Georgetown and Williamson County.

In order to fix the house, we have to take it down to the studs, repair the foundation, and put a new roof and siding on.  In order to do this, the Black family needed a place to stay, so we purchased a used fifth wheel travel trailer for the family to move into temporarily until work on the house is completed.

We still have a long way to go but we have accomplished a lot since that first fundraiser back in March 2021.

Progress made to date:

1. Temporary housing for the Blacks
2. Removal and storage of all household items
3. Clear debris from property
4. Mold remediation
5. Demo all interior walls, ceilings, and cabinets; remove all fixtures
6. Repaired pier and beam foundation and leveled home
7. New Plumbing
8. HVAC/Mechanical
9. Electrical
10. Framing/drywall
11. Kitchen cabinets
12. Stucco siding
13. Roof

We believe we have the funds and/or donations to cover the following:

1. Paint
2. Flooring
3. Dumpsters
4. Landscaping

We are still in need of donations to cover the following.

1. Additional sub-floor replacement
2. Insulation for interior walls, and attic
3. Millwork – baseboards, door trim, vanities, shelving
4. Countertops
5. Pre-hung exterior/interior doors
6. Decking for ADA compliant ramps for front and back of house
7. Household appliances – microwave, dishwasher, refrigerator, freezer, water heater

With that said, we’d like to thank the following businesses for their generous donation of materials and services: Foy’s Cooling & Heating, AusTex Aggregates, Structura Inc., Allied Electric Services, GTX Plumbing, ABC Home & Commercial Services, At Your Disposal Waste Services Inc., BinDumped, Prime Wall Systems, L and M Construction, Mobile Mini Solutions, Texas Traditions Roofing, and Liquid Waste.

We’d also like to thank the following businesses for their generous monetary grants and donations and/or for providing us a venue for fundraising: Fairway Mortgage, Water Mission Texas, Walburg Invitational Bragging Rights BBQ Cookoff, Barking Armadillo Brewing, Rentsch Brewery, Nightingale Bistro, Roots Bistro, and The Granary.

We would also like to especially thank the many individuals who have donated their sweat equity in the form of time, talent, and effort to get us to this point: Chris and Emily Hamilton (also known as Valor & Lace), Charles Baker and the Texas Baptist Men Disaster Relief, Scott Linebrink and Water Mission, Cody Hirt, The Central Texas Men’s Group, and Rudy Ximenez w/ RSX Studios.

Finally, we would like to thank the many, many individuals who have stepped up and personally donated to fund this project. 100% of these donations are being used to complete the project. Thank you to each and every one of you. We could not do all these things without your help.

As we stated above, we still have work to do and could still use your help.  If you would like to donate funds to help this family out, you can do so via Venmo by sending donations to @Georgetown-Beard-Club or scanning the QR code below with your cell phone’s camera.

You can also donate directly through our website by clicking on the “Lend a Hand” button below.  Finally, you can mail a check to:  Georgetown Beard Club. P.O. Box 2772, Georgetown, TX 78627 Attn:  Lend a Hand.  We are a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and your donation may be tax-deductible.

If you or your company would like to donate time or materials, please contact any of the following people:

Michael Price: michael@georgetownbeardclub.com

Rob Kiddie at rob@georgetownbeardclub.com

Chris or Emily Hamilton: valorandlace@gmail.com