EAL Fall 2023

than $23,000 was raised! The hustle was
repeated and another $28,000 poured in.
BigHouse also received many generous contributions
of money, services and more, as
well as in-kind donations from a community
who believed in the mission.
All those dreams and all the hard work
were rewarded in spring 2023 when the
BigHouse Retreat opened in Opelika.
Located on nine acres along Grand National
Parkway, the retreat gives foster families a
place to call their own – and plenty of space
for Micah to keep dreaming.
“So many of our families feel isolated
and alone because foster care can be very
overwhelming,” says Micah. “Parenting
children that aren't your birth children is
different and it can be hard. Foster parents
nurture and comfort children who have
been through major trauma, they advocate
for them and navigate through the court
system. They have rules and laws to follow,
they protect the children and their identities
and work with social workers who are
trying to reunite families. All those things
can be very challenging.”
The main vision and purpose of the
retreat is to not only provide resources,
but also a place where relationships could
be established and grown. A place where
families – and children – feel a special
connection.
In just the first few months, parents have
come to the BigHouse Retreat to sit and relax
on the back porch. They have met other foster
families for picnic lunches, conversations
and to connect with each other while
their children play. It’s a private area just for
them where they can let go and enjoy.
“We've had families who have gone to a
public park, and they run into somebody
who knows their foster children, but the
parents don’t know who the people are,”
says Micah. “It can be a bit uncomfortable.
It doesn't necessarily stop our families from
doing things in public, but the retreat is a
safe place and gives our families a sense of
belonging and a place of refuge for them.”
One of the new and very successful programs
at the retreat is an orientation where
small family groups gather. The staff shares
how the foundation, and the retreat, can
Photos courtesy of Big House
86 EAST ALABAMA LIVING