"And they will know us by our love."
John 13:35
We strive to show the love of Jesus to children and their families and to provide a Christ-centered, home environment in which they can grow spiritually, academically, and socially.
As we spend time with neighbors, we pray that our loving, serving, and mentoring of men, women, and children will be a partnership with God to draw them into a personal relationship with His Son.
OUR HOUSE HISTORY
Our House is a ministry of By Our Love, an Alabama non-profit corporation and the result of a number of years of local mission outreach to children and their families who live in Auburn Public Housing, Ridgecrest Apartments. We believe that we are called to love, serve and be present to our neighbors. Therefore, we continue to show the love of Jesus in practical ways and foster relationships that demonstrate our genuine care and concern for their spiritual, emotional and social well-being.
When we opened the first house, located on the corner of Bedell Avenue and North Donahue, in April of 2014, we serve approximately 35 students in grades K-8th. We quickly realized we needed more room to accommodate more students on a daily basis. In March of 2018, we opened a second house adjacent to the first on Bedell Avenue and are now serving more than 100 students in grades K-12.
MEET OUR BOARD & STAFF:
Director- REne Waldrop
Rene Waldrop is a graduate of Auburn University and Tulane Law School. For more than 20 years, Rene’ practiced corporate law with an emphasis on business entities, mergers, acquisitions and real estate. She is currently an instructor of Business Law at Auburn University and the Director of Our House. Rene’ uses her education and experience in administration, operation and fundraising for this ministry, but credits her Christian upbringing and love for the Lord as her motivation to love and serve the Our House children and their families.
Secretary/Treasurer- James Clemens
James Clemens earned Accounting and MBA degrees from Auburn University and went on to become the president and part owner of SouthWare Innovations. James and his wife, Linda have two daughters and a granddaughter who they enjoy spending time with them. They enjoy leading classes for engaged and married couples, and James is also involved in personal financial planning. Counseling and personal finance are the focus of his ministry efforts where he works to mentor young fathers and husbands along with helping children have the skills they need to break free from the cycle of poverty. He enjoys golf, weight lifting, and traveling.
Board member- Haley Brooks
Haley Brooks is from Birmingham, AL and is a graduate of Auburn University where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science. She earned her Masters Degree from Clemson University and practiced athletic training for several years. She returned to school to receive her Teacher’s Certificate and is currently teaching Sixth Grade at Auburn Classical Academy. Haley and her husband, Jermile, have three boys, Caleb, Aiden and Hunter. Their family leads a serve team through the Dream Center that serves at Our House every First Saturday. Haley and her husband are also involved in their church’s pre-marital ministry, where they lead young couples as they prepare for marriage. They both have a passion to see kids reach their full potential and walk in the gifts and talents the Lord has blessed them with.
Board Member- Ellyn Hix
Ellyn Hix earned her Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Auburn University. Ellyn has retired from Auburn University and now serves as a volunteer at Our House. Ellyn and her husband have spent most of their marriage giving back to children in the Auburn community through coaching sports and serving as youth counselors at their church. Ellyn has a passion for building self-esteem in children to provide them with the foundation to be successful and make a difference in this world.
Board Member- Calvin Patrick
Calvin Patrick is a native of Seale, Alabama. He graduated from Chavala High School (currently Russell County High School). He is married to Alesia Patrick and they have three children and five grandchildren. Calvin has always been very family oriented and involved in the community and in ministry. He is Pastor of the Youth Ministry at True Deliverance Holiness Church, where he oversees programs and events that cater to the spiritual and social needs of the youth. He coaches, mentors, and develops leaders to assist him in the Youth Ministry. Calvin is also the Senior Director of the Changing Hearts and Destiny Outreach Ministry in the Education Department. In this role, he oversees the K-12 After school Tutorial Program and the Adult GED Preparation Classes Program. Calvin has been employed in various roles at Briggs and Stratton for over 15 years.
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR - JACKSON SMITH
Jackson Smith is from Auburn, AL and is currently pursuing a degree in Human Development and Family Science from Auburn University. He started volunteering at Our House in the fall of 2019 as a senior in high school. He is in his second year as a student at Auburn University with an expected graduation date of May 2024. He has been a member of our staff since January of 2022 and is responsible for coordinating with each volunteer and making sure that we have a set weekly schedule. His passion behind working at Our House is to create an environment where our kids and volunteers can build relationships centered around the gospel while also making sure that we are providing the best opportunities for each kid to succeed academically and socially. He spends his time outside of Our House leading a small group of high school aged guys or participating in student government on campus.
Tessa voss - Opportunity and Growth Manager
Tessa Voss grew up in the small community of Center Hill, AL just north-east of Florence, AL. She graduated from Auburn University in December 2018, with a degree in Global Studies in Human Sciences and a minor in Hunger Studies. She began working part-time with Our House in January 2019, while she completed a two-year internship with a campus ministry in town. She then transitioned to full-time as the Opportunity and Growth Manager in May 2021. Her passion is to create safe and challenging environments, so that people can build authentic and healthy relationships with themselves and others. Though she never really imagined herself working with kids, she believes that Our House’s mission aligns perfectly with that passion. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, tea time with friends, baking, and outdoor adventures with her pup, Piper.
RAINA LANIER - OPERATIONS COORDINATOR
Raina Lanier is from Beauregard and graduated from Huntingdon College in 2018 where she played softball. She graduated with a degree in Elementary and Special Education. She taught 6thgrade at Millbrook Middle School from 2018-2019 until she felt the Lord calling her to full time ministry. Raina works full time for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and ministers to schools in the area, including Auburn City Schools. After serving over the summer at Camp I Am, Raina began working for Our House part-time facilitating the tutoring the students receive after school. She loves to see the kids succeed in and out of the classroom and wants them to feel prepared to succeed in anything they want to do with their lives. She is passionate about the students’ relationships with the Lord and prays constantly for the salvation of everyone in the Ridgecrest community.