
Elswick details Baytown Facility at North Shore Rotary meeting
NORTH CHANNEL – Rotarians heard from Roger Elswick last week, about the planned Family Center to serve homeless families in the Bay Area Homeless Service area.
Elswick is the campaign chair for the fundraising effort to build, furnish and equip the new center. The goal is to raise $1.2 million for this unique project.
Elswick is CEO of Community Toyota/Honda/Kia in Baytown, and devotes much of his time to worthwhile civic causes. He was accompanied in his presentation by Jim Wadzinski and BAHS executive director Bill Eckert.
Elswick explained that although the BAHS has been in existence since 1982, it serves homeless men, women and children in separate facilities. What was needed was a family facility, so that BAHS did not have to split them up. The new building, when completed in 2015, will be 6000 square feet in size, and have six family suites, dining areas, kitchen play area, office, and living room. It will be unique in East Harris County, with no other similar facility available for homeless families, he said.
BAHS service area is East Harris County, Chamber, and Liberty counties. This includes Channelview, North Shore, Sheldon, Galena Park, Jacinto City, Crosby, Highlands, Baytown, Mont Belvieu, Dayton, Liberty, and Anahuac.
Elswick is seeking donations, or pledges, that can be spread out over 3 years. BAHS is a 501c3 organization, so there is a tax advantage to donations. Individuals or companies that donate can have various rooms permanently named for them.