Organization: THE FORTRESS PROJECT INC
Mission: OUR PASSION IS TURNING HOUSES INTO HOMES. TO EVERY PART OF EVERY JOB, WE BRING RESPECT, DEDICATION, AND PROFESSIONALISM. WE ARE MOTIVATED BY OUR DESIRE TO SHARE CHRIST JESUS' LOVE WITH OUR NEIGHBORS AND COMMUNITY.
Activities: CONSTRUCTION - WE ARE A PREMIER HOME RENOVATION AND NEW CONSTRUCTION BUILDER. BRINGING OVER 20 YEARS OF INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE, WE WALK WITH HOMEOWNERS TO BRING OUT THE BEAUTY, FUNCTION, AND VALUE IN THEIR HOMES. WE WALK WITH HOMEOWNERS THROUGH PLANNING TO COMPLETION.WE ARE ALSO COMMITTED TO HELPING OUR COMMUNITY. AS A 501C(3) ORGANIZATION, ALL THE PROFIT FROM OUR PROJECT GOES TO FUND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS FOR FAMILIES WHO HAVE HOME REPAIRS NEEDS BUT ARE UNABLE TO GET THE REPAIRS DONE IN TRADITIONAL WAYS. WE IDENTIFY PEOPLE WITH CONSTRUCTION NEEDS, AND ORGANIZE CONTRACTORS AND VOLUNTEER TEAMS TO BUILD SOLUTIONS FOR THESE HOMES. WE PARTNER WITH CHURCHES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THIS IS ONE WAY WE LIVE OUT OUR FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST.DURING 2019 - JANUARY THROUGH MARCH WAS A VERY SIGNIFICANT TIME IN THE ORGANIZATIONS DEVELOPMENT. CONTINUING THE MISSION THAT WAS STARTED IN THE PREVIOUS YEARS, THE FORTRESS PROJECT WAS ABLE TO BUILD UP A CUSTOMER BASE AND GET CONTRACTS SIGNED ON SIGNIFICANT CONSTRUCTION PROJECT TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THE ORGANIZATION. ON APRIL 8, 2019 THE FORTRESS PROJECT HIRED TWO EMPLOYEES FULLTIME TO OVERSEE THE ORGANIZATION AND CARRY OUT ITS MISSION. THE FIRST YEAR CONSISTED OF CONTINUING TO BUILD UP THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE ORGANIZATION IN RAISING FUNDS THROUGH CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AS A LICENSED AND INSURED CONSTRUCTION COMPANY BOTH IN MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN. MILESTONE ACCOMPLISHMENT ACHIEVED DURING 2019: 1. THE FORTRESS PROJECT WAS ABLE TO CONDUCT SEVERAL MISSION PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR IMPACTING THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO WERE FACED WITH VERY DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES.2. PURCHASED AN ORGANIZATINAL HEADQUARTERS AND MINISTRY CENTER: THE FORTRESS PROEJCT WAS ABLE TO RAISE $36,000 THROUGH CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS TO PUT DOWN ON THE BUILDING AS A DOWN PAYMENT FOR THE FORTRESS PROJECT HEADQUARTERS AND MININISTRY CENTER.3. THE FORTRESS WAS ABLE TO PREPARE LOGISTICALLY AND FINANCIALLY POSITION ITSELF TO HIRE A A FULL TIME MISSION PASTOR TO OVERSEE ALL MINISTRY WORK IN 2020. HAVING A FULLTIME MISSION PASTOR TO OVERSEE ALL OF THE MISSION WORK OF THE FORTRESS WAS A VERY SIGNIFICANT GOAL FOR US TO ACCOMPLISH. PREPARING FOR THIS SALARY WAS VERY SIGNIFICANT TO GET THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE TO SUPPORT THIS SALARY.4. MENTORSHIP & PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT WORK OF A SECOND FORTRESS PROJECT LOCATION IN TOLEDO, OHIO. THE FORTRESS HAS BEEN TRAINING AND MENTORING A CONTRACTOR TO DEVELOP A FORTRESS LOCATION IN TOLEDO, OHIO THAT WILL SERVE PARTS OF OHIO, INDIANA, AND MICHIGAN.BELOW ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTED MISSION PROJECTS THAT THE FORTRESS PROJECT WAS ABLE TO FACILITATE AND LEAD IN HELPING PEOPLE WITH CONSTRUCTION WORK AND MAINTENANCE WORK ON THEIR HOMES: 1. EAST HUDSON MISSION PROJECT: THIS PROJECT CONSISTED OF HELPING A WOMAN WHO HAD WATER INTRUDE AND DRAIN INTO HER HOME AT A HIGH RATE FLOODING HER BASEMENT. THE FORTRESS HELPED CHANNEL THE WATER AWAY FROM THE HOME TO PREVENT FURTHER WATER INTRUSION INTO THE BASEMENT THROUGH SANDBAGGING, SUMP PUMPS AND DIVERTING THE WATER FROM THE SUMP PUMPS AWAY FROM HER HOME. IN ADDITION, THE FORTRESS IS ALSO WORKING TO ORGANIZE ADDITIONAL PROJECT DATES TO HELP THE WOMAN WITH SEVERAL OTHER PROJECTS ON HER HOME. CURRENTLY THERE IS NO FLOORING, AND TRIM WORK IN THE HOME. ADDITIONALLY THE CEILINGS ARE NOT FINISHED AND THE DRYWALL IS NOT FASTENED PROPERLY TO THE CEILING AND THERE IS AN UNFINISHED BATHROOM. HER HUSBAND LEFT HER IN THE MIDDLE OF SEVERAL INTERIOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS. THE FORTRESS PROJECT HAS COME BESIDE HER TO HELP HER IN THIS TIME OF NEED TO COMPLETE THESE PROJECTS.2. HAMMOND MISSION PROJECT: THIS HOMEOWNER HAS ALS AND ONLY HAD ONE YEAR LEFT TO LIVE AS DIAGNOSED BY MULTIPLE DOCTORS. HE WAS AT THE STAGE WHERE HE WAS IN A SCOOTER AND HE COULD NOT EXIT HIS HOME BECAUSE THE DOOR WAS BEING BLOCKED BY A CLOSET WHEN YOU FIRST ENTERED THE HOME. THE FORTRESS PROJECT REMOVED HIS EXISTING FRONT DOOR, AND PUT IN A LARGER DOOR WITH A SIDELIGHT THAT WOULD ACCOMMODATE HIS SCOOTER. THE FORTRESS PROJECT REMODELED THE OPENING, INSTALLED A NEW HEADER, REPLACED THE DOOR, AND FACILITATED THE PROJECT SO THAT THE HOMEOWNER COULD ENTER AND EXIT THE HOME ON HIS SCOOTER.3. SOUTH ST. PAUL MISSION PROJECT: THIS PROJECT CONSISTED OF HELPING A FAMILY WITH 5 CHILDREN REPAIR THE CEILING IN THEIR HOME. THEY HAD PEELING PAINT AND PLASTER FALLING OFF OF THE CEILINGS IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS. THE FORTRESS PROJECT CAME IN AND TESTED FOR LEAD AS LEAD CERTIFIED RENOVATORS, AND DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS NOT LEAD IN THE PAINT ON THE CEILINGS. THE FORTRESS PROJECT REMOVED ALL OF THE PLASTER FROM THE CEILINGS AND INSTALLED NEW DRYWALL ON THE CEILINGS AND FINISHED THE CEILINGS ACCORDINGLY. IN ADDITION, THE FORTRESS PROJECT INSTALLED NEW LIGHT FIXTURES THROUGHOUT THE LEVEL OF THE HOUSE AND WE REMOVED THE FLOORING FOR THEM WHICH WAS SOILED WITH PAINT CHIPS AND PLASTER.4. BALDWIN MISSION PROJECT: THIS PROJECT CONSISTED OF HELPING BUILD A STRUCTURE TO STORE HAY IN, AT PINE LAKE PASTURES AND THE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION HOUSED THERE "PROMISE KEPT THERAPEUTIC RIDING CENTER" WHICH HELPS PEOPLE THROUGH HORSE THERAPY. THIS STRUCTURE WAS 85' LONG AND 26' WIDE AND INCLUDED 32 FOOTINGS. THIS STRUCTURE ALLOWED HAY TO BE STORED IN THIS STRUCTURE WHICH OPENED UP ANOTHER BUILDING ON THE PROPERTY TO BE UTILIZED FOR LESSONS AND HORSE THERAPY INSTEAD OF HAY STORAGE.5. HOULTON MISSION PROJECT: THIS PROJECT CONSISTED OF HELPING A SINGLE MOM AND HER SON FIX UP THEIR TRAILER HOUSE. WE WERE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH ANOTHER ORGANIZATION CALLED IMPACT CARES TO ORGANIZE VOLUNTEERS TO HELP HER REPAIR HER TRAILER. UPON WALKING INTO THE HOME THE CONDITIONS WERE SIMILAR TO A HOME IN A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY. IN A CLIMATE WHERE TEMPERATURES GET BELOW ZERO FOR SEVERAL MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR, THIS HOUSE WAS NOT WEATHERIZED TO HANDLE THESE TYPES OF CONDITIONS. THERE WERE HOLES IN THE FLOOR, A 2" GAP BETWEEN THE BOTTOM OF THE TUB AND THE FLOOR. THERE WAS SEWAGE WAS BACKING UP INTO THE TUB AND TOILET, WINDOWS WERE MISSING IN THE HOME, FLOORING THROUGHOUT THE TRAILER WAS EITHER MISSING OR UNSAFE, AND THE OVERALL CONDITIONS OF THE HOME WERE IN DISARRAY. THE FORTRESS PROJECT ORGANIZED VOLUNTEER TEAMS TO REPAIR THE BATHROOM AND OTHER MISC. AREAS OF THE FLOOR. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROJECT. THE SEWER WAS REPAIRED, AND A NEW SHOWER BASE INSTALLED, AND TOILET INSTALLED. MISC. AREAS OF FLOORING WERE ALSO REPAIR.
NTEE category: Housing & Shelter
Secondary category: Community Improvement & Capacity Building