“Almost finished!” says professional painter Monica, adding turquois accents to our newly reconstructed railings at Joshua Station. The severe rust and decay of steel beams supporting our walkways is only a grungy memory.

We’re thrilled to be down the home stretch at last. Our current families are settling back in, after months of disruption and temporary housing off site.

For years we’ve known renovation was needed for safety and security reasons. We knew it would be a big deal. As these things go, it turned out so much bigger! Initial estimates of $1.1 million and three months grew to $1.7 million and seven months, after demolition revealed more extensive structural problems.

“At the beginning of the summer, I asked our entire community for patience and flexibility for the biggest disruption in Joshua Station’s history,” says Amy Jackson, our Chief of Staff. I’m super proud of how everyone rose to the challenge— residents, staff, volunteers, and partners.

“Moving residents into off-site motels turned into a more complicated and expensive undertaking than expected, with the numerous construction timeline changes. Keeping each family supported and moving forward with their goals was a top priority, as well as safety for resident activities still on site.”

“I’m always, always very grateful for this place,” says resident Tina*, mother of a teenager. “I didn’t mind moving off site into a hotel, just for a new experience. We couldn’t take all our things, but the staff helped us with everything needed. We still did therapy at Joshua Station and my daughter did youth activities. Being away, though, we quickly started to miss everything. We missed the community of neighbors, cooking together, and helping each other.”

Back at Joshua Station and turning the page to 2026, Tina will focus on education—with the goal of becoming a paralegal. Her daughter will continue an exciting freshman year at a magnet high school.

With recent graduations, we’ll be interviewing and welcoming fifteen new families over the next few months! They will begin their own two-year journeys toward healing from homelessness and building a stable future. Numerous volunteer groups are preparing to “Spuce-A-Room” so that families coming from trauma situations will be welcomed into beautiful, personalized living spaces.

With our renovation down the home stretch, we still need $600,000 in order to pay the final bills. Every gift, large or small, will be essential in finishing this chapter strong and moving forward with our support programs. Your wonderful generosity is making all this possible for our families!

*Tina’s name has been changed

FAST FACTS

How the project unfolded:

• Reconstruction in three phases—north, middle, south—July 2025 – January 2026

• A temporary safety bridge assembled on the property

• 50 structural steel beams replaced, new concrete walkways poured on two levels

• Newly refaced breezeways

• New paint for the entire building

• Security fencing system for the entire property

• Each family was relocated either within the building or off site

• Milender White served as general contractor

• Daniel Zimmerman, our highly skilled (volunteer) owner’s rep, maximized every dollar spent

Needed to complete:

$600,000

Spread the word with our notamotel.com campaign! Via social media or word of mouth, it’s a great way to introduce new supporters to Joshua Station’s need.