Abbey Walsh, expansion coordinator for Isaiah 117 House, speaks to guests during a fundraiser for the agency at The BackAlley in Butler Township on Thursday, Feb. 8. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
Kyle Prudhomme
BUTLER TWP — The delay between a child’s removal from their parent and a caregiver showing up to take them home might become a little more comfortable after a sold-out fundraising event Thursday, Feb. 8, for a new house dedicated to helping foster children.
Abbey Walsh is an expansion coordinator for Isaiah 117 House, who is trying to create a child welfare house in Butler County that can host children taken from their homes while they wait to be placed in foster care. On Thursday, Isaiah House 117 hosted a luncheon and a dinner at The BackAlley to raise money to purchase a house in Butler for that purpose.
According to Walsh, this push by the agency could be one of the final fundraising steps needed for the agency to create a foster house in the city.
Heart-shaped balloons fill the room at The BackAlley in Butler Township during an Isaiah 117 House fundraiser Thursday, Feb. 8. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
Kyle Prudhomme
“That’s the goal of being here today, is that we raise the money we need to purchase the home and raise our first year’s budget,” Walsh said.
The luncheon and the dinner Thursday each had 200 attendees, Walsh said, who bought tickets and other items while at the meals to help raise funds for the agency, which was founded by Ronda Paulson in Tennessee in 2017. People in other cities around the nation have opened Isaiah 117 Houses since then.
Walsh announced the local project in July.
She said Isaiah 117 House doesn’t take out mortgages and each needs to have its first year’s budget financed prior to opening. However, she said the potential house doesn’t need much work before opening, but the location is yet to be finalized.
“We hope to start serving kids this summer,” Walsh said.
Charles Johns, executive director of Butler County Children and Youth Services, spoke at the luncheon, and said having a hub to bring children to on their “removal day” could help cut down on their trauma from the event. Removing children from their parents is a lengthy process, Johns said, and children may have to wait in a governmental office until they are placed with a family.
The Isaiah 117 House aims to provide a better location for them to wait, which Johns said would be beneficial.
“Our agency does the best we can with the resources we have to reduce the trauma of removal for the children,” Johns said. “There is no doubt that the Isaiah 117 House will further reduce trauma for children awaiting home placement.”
The Isaiah 117 House has meetings at 7 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month at Butler Community Alliance Church, which Walsh said are open to the public and even help people get involved in child advocacy and volunteering.
“We usually get 50 to 100 people at each meeting,” Walsh said. “We just certified 60 clearance volunteers for people to help with the children.”
Ronda Paulson, founder of Isaiah 117 House, prepares to speak during a fundraiser at The BackAlley in Butler Township on Thursday, Feb. 8. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
Kyle Prudhomme
Charles Johns, executive director of Butler County Children and Youth Services, speaks during a fundraiser at The BackAlley in Butler Township on Thursday, Feb. 8. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
Kyle Prudhomme
Ronda Paulson, founder of Isaiah 117 House, speaks during a fundraiser at The BackAlley in Butler Township on Thursday, Feb. 8. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
Kyle Prudhomme
Merchandise is on display during an Isaiah 117 House fundraiser at The BackAlley in Butler Township on Thursday, Feb. 8. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
Kyle Prudhomme
Ronda Paulson, founder of Isaiah 117 House, speaks during a fundraiser at The BackAlley in Butler Township on Thursday, Feb. 8. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
Kyle Prudhomme
Ronda Paulson, founder of Isaiah 117 House, claps during guest speeches during a fundraiser at The BackAlley in Butler Township on Thursday, Feb. 8. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
Kyle Prudhomme
Charles Johns, executive director of Butler County Children and Youth Services, speaks during a fundraiser at The BackAlley in Butler Township on Thursday, Feb. 8. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
Kyle Prudhomme
Debi Giocondo speaks during an Isaiah 117 House fundraiser at The BackAlley in Butler Township on Thursday, Feb. 8. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
Kyle Prudhomme
Guests attend an Isaiah 117 House fundraiser at The BackAlley in Butler Township on Thursday, Feb. 8. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
Kyle Prudhomme
The proposed plans for Isaiah 117 House were used as place mats during a fundraiser for the agency at The BackAlley in Butler Township on Thursday, Feb. 8. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
Kyle Prudhomme
Floor plans for the proposed Isaiah 117 House were on display during a fundraiser for the agency at The BackAlley in Butler Township on Thursday, Feb. 8. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
Kyle Prudhomme
From left, Ronda Paulson, founder of Isaiah House, and Abbey Walsh, expansion coordinator, pause during a fundraiser at The BackAlley in Butler Township on Thursday, Feb. 8. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
Kyle Prudhomme
Ronda Paulson, founder of Isaiah 117 House, speaks during a fundraiser at The BackAlley in Butler Township on Thursday, Feb. 8. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
Kyle Prudhomme
Guests make their way into the Isaiah 117 House fundraiser at The BackAlley in Butler Township on Thursday, Feb. 8. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
Kyle Prudhomme
Abbey Walsh, expansion coordinator for Isaiah 117 House, shows the proposed floor plans during a fundraiser for the agency at The BackAlley in Butler Township on Thursday, Feb. 8. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
Kyle Prudhomme
Abbey Walsh, expansion coordinator for Isaiah 117 House, speaks to guests during a fundraiser for the agency at The BackAlley in Butler Township on Thursday, Feb. 8. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
Kyle Prudhomme
