Today we’d like to introduce you to Veronica.
Hi Veronica, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
North Hays Restore and Rebuild Inc., commonly known as Restore & Rebuild, began more than twenty years ago through a local church in north Hays County that was responding directly to families in need. Over two decades, that church built or donated eleven homes to struggling families.
Over time, leadership recognized something important: while housing is a tremendous blessing, some families were losing those homes due to deeper systemic challenges — limited education, lack of job skills, unstable budgeting habits, early pregnancy, and unresolved personal crises. It became clear that long-term stability required more than a physical structure. It required transformation at the level of life skills, earning capacity, and support systems.
In 2014–2015, funds were raised to build a duplex for transitional housing for single moms, with the vision of combining free housing and life coaching. However, after working directly with single moms in trial phases, leadership shifted the entire model. Instead of concentrating families in one physical location, Restore & Rebuild transitioned to a community-based approach — offering rental stipends paired with structured life coaching. This allowed single moms to remain in their existing school districts, jobs, and support networks while receiving intentional guidance.
Over the years, we have walked alongside women coming out of foster care, women facing mental health challenges, moms on the brink of eviction, and moms determined to increase their earning potential. We have seen women complete vocational certifications, stabilize finances, secure reliable housing, and move from minimum wage positions into higher-paying careers.
In 2019, Restore & Rebuild formally became a community-based ministry with a volunteer board, coaches, and support teams drawn from multiple churches. We operate without a physical office and without paid staff, which allows funds raised to go directly toward rental stipends, emergency needs, vehicle assistance, and program support.
One distinctive part of our program is accountability. Single moms who enter Restore & Rebuild are vetted carefully. They must demonstrate a strong work ethic, financial transparency, and a willingness to be coached. Our women coaches meet regularly with assigned moms to develop goals, budgeting plans, vocational pathways, and personal growth objectives. Encouragement is central, but so is responsibility.
We have also donated vehicles, provided emergency food and medicine, supported education through community college or vocational programs, and built a volunteer car-repair team that refurbishes donated vehicles before gifting them to moms.
Each summer, we host a large Single Moms Expo serving families across Hays County and South Austin. It is a day of encouragement, practical education, free clothing, car maintenance, community resources, and inspiration for both moms and children.
Today, Restore & Rebuild is a structured, coaching-based nonprofit focused on fostering lasting stability — not short-term relief. Our vision is to expand our reach and walk alongside more single mom families who are motivated to rebuild and thrive.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road — and in many ways, that’s what has shaped who we are today.
Early on, we learned that generosity alone is not enough to create lasting stability. Donating homes was a beautiful act of compassion, but when deeper life-skills, financial discipline, and earning capacity weren’t addressed, some families struggled to sustain what had been given. That realization required humility. It meant reassessing our model and admitting that structural help without personal development was incomplete.
When we shifted from building transitional housing to offering rental stipends paired with life coaching, that transition came with uncertainty. It required rethinking systems, policies, vetting processes, and accountability standards. We had to ask hard questions about what truly produces long-term change.
Another challenge has been walking alongside women whose lives have been shaped by trauma — foster care histories, mental health struggles, unstable support systems. Coaching in those situations requires patience, boundaries, discernment, and sometimes navigating setbacks when a mom exits the program and later returns. Stability is rarely linear.
As a volunteer-led organization with no paid staff or physical office, we’ve also faced the natural challenges of capacity. Growth requires structure. Policies must be written. Training must improve. Board governance must mature. We’ve continually refined our procedures to protect both the moms we serve and the integrity of the ministry.
Fundraising has also required creativity and faith. Because we are committed to using funds directly for single moms, we operate lean — but that means every expansion effort requires thoughtful stewardship.
Perhaps one of the most important lessons has been learning to balance grace with accountability. Our program is compassionate, but it is not passive. Moms must demonstrate work ethic, financial transparency, and coachability. Upholding those standards while maintaining encouragement has been a refining process.
The road hasn’t been smooth — but each challenge has clarified our mission. Today, Restore & Rebuild is stronger, more structured, and more intentional because of those struggles. They’ve shaped us into a coaching-based nonprofit focused not on temporary relief, but on lasting transformation.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I serve as Chairman of North Hays Restore and Rebuild Inc., a volunteer-led nonprofit that walks alongside single moms through structured life coaching, rental stipends, vocational guidance, and accountability-based support. My role involves governance oversight, policy development, fundraising strategy, coach training refinement, and long-term vision planning.
Beyond nonprofit leadership, I am involved in family-owned real estate development through Project Real Estate LLC. That work has strengthened my understanding of financial stewardship, asset management, risk assessment, and long-term investment strategy — principles I also bring into nonprofit leadership.
For more than fifteen years, I have also been deeply committed to home education. Building academic structure, long-range curriculum planning, and individualized learning plans has shaped the way I think about development — whether for children or for single moms rebuilding their lives. Growth requires structure, intentionality, and patience.
I would say I specialize in building systems that support long-term stability. I’m drawn to strategy — asking not just “How do we help today?” but “How do we create lasting change five years from now?” I believe compassion must be paired with accountability. Encouragement without structure rarely produces sustainability.
What I’m most proud of is not a title or position, but watching women move from crisis to confidence. Seeing a single mom complete vocational training, stabilize her finances, secure reliable housing, or gain clarity in her long-term goals — those moments are deeply meaningful.
If there is something that sets me apart, it is perhaps my commitment to stewardship and structure. I care deeply about doing things well — refining policies, protecting integrity, and ensuring that generosity is paired with wisdom. I believe leadership is not about visibility, but responsibility.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Restore & Rebuild has never been the work of one individual. It has always been a collaborative effort shaped by faithful leadership and volunteers over many years.
The ministry was originally birthed through the vision of a local church in north Hays County. Pastor David Sweet has played a foundational role from the early years through today, helping guide both the spiritual direction and long-term strategy of the organization. He continues to serve on our board and provides steady leadership and perspective.
In 2019, Barbara Penhall was instrumental in helping Restore & Rebuild formalize its nonprofit status. That milestone strengthened our governance structure and positioned us to operate with greater accountability and broader community involvement.
Our board provides essential oversight and stewardship. Anita Deane serves as Treasurer and brings thoughtful financial accountability to our budgeting and planning. Jeremy Osborne serves as a board member and also leads our “Cars for Single Moms” initiative. Reliable transportation is often the difference between job stability and crisis, and Jeremy, along with the volunteer car team, donates time and mechanical expertise to evaluate, repair, and prepare vehicles before they are gifted to single moms. Mollie Osborne previously served faithfully as Vice Chair and contributed significantly during important seasons of refinement and growth.
Behind the scenes, Tami Larsen organizes and maintains our monthly financial records and accounting. As a fully volunteer-led organization without paid staff, her diligence helps ensure we steward donations responsibly and operate with integrity.
Our women coaches are the heart of Restore & Rebuild. They meet regularly with assigned single moms to develop goals, establish budgets, pursue vocational training, and navigate personal and professional challenges. Their patience, wisdom, and encouragement are central to the transformation we see.
The annual Single Moms Expo is another example of collective effort. Dozens of volunteers contribute — from organizing logistics and children’s programming to performing oil changes and connecting moms with community agencies. It truly reflects what can happen when a community comes together with shared purpose.
We are also deeply grateful for the donors, churches, and local supporters who believe in pairing compassion with accountability. Their trust allows us to operate lean and direct resources toward rental stipends, emergency assistance, and long-term stability for the moms we serve.
Restore & Rebuild is sustained by collaboration — faithful people serving consistently so that single moms in Hays County and South Austin have the opportunity to rebuild their lives with dignity and structure.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.restore-rebuild.org/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1DEjFhGYcw/
- Other: https://north-hays-county-restore-rebuild-inc.missionpillars.com/communications/92b0bbb3-5fa6-412a-b6ee-1ecd332de016/public
Image Credits
Veronica Birrueta-Granado
