Meet Valerie Ballard of North Texas Capacity Builders

Today we’d like to introduce you to Valerie Ballard.

Valerie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
North Texas Capacity Builders began work in 2000 focusing on programs for youth entrepreneurship and expending to construction training for fathers and now housing for homeless veterans in Dallas County. It was during this work that we discovered numerous veterans, elderly an disabled persons living in conditions that were neither healthy nor safe. Then we were made aware of how many homeless veterans living under the bridges or on our streets.

Last year we started working with corporate sponsors like: Chesmar Homes, Home Depot and their foundation, PPG, GE Electric and others to revitalize the home of my late grandmother Joanna Webb-Murria. Joanna was the caretaker of many Veterans in our family.

A second tiny house community is planned on the property of the American Legion Post 511 in Dallas. North Texas Capacity is working to building tiny houses for homeless veterans and provide job training and employment opportunities.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
No, it has not been a smooth road. Operation Tiny House has planned to build several tiny house in season 1 last fall before nearly two weeks of rain delayed the builds and caused volunteer construction teams to rescheduled until season 2 in the fall of 2019.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the North Texas Capacity Builders story. Tell us more about the business.
North Texas Capacity Builders/Operation Tiny House is a nonprofit organization providing transitional and permanent housing, job training and employment opportunities to homeless veterans in Dallas County.

This program addresses two of Dallas’ biggest problems, homelessness and lack of affordable housing.

Operation Tiny House work with local, state and corporate sponsors, their employees and hundreds of individuals interested in helping build tiny houses for our nation’s heroes.

We are proud of the sponsors we have been able to attract to this project and we are reaching more sponsors each month to help us work toward our mission and goals for housing homeless veterans.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Personally, I don’t believe in luck, I believe that I have been blessed to wake up and work on the missions God have asked me to assist with. I have had the opportunity to work in my community for over 30 years and have enjoyed it, the good and the bad.

I have been blessed to have role models that have helped me shape who I am and inspired me to give back to others and work hard for what you want to do.

My life has been good and I believe that with God on my side I can do anything and all things are possible.

Pricing:

• A sponsor can provide a veteran a tiny house with furniture for 25K to 35K

Contact Info:

• Address: Joanna’s Veterans Camp
  112 W. Elmore Ave,
  Dallas, TX 75224
• Website: operationtinyhouse.org
• Phone: 469-608-9030
• Email: tinyhousesforvets@gmail.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/ntcapacitybuilders
• Facebook: facebook.com/ntcapacitybuilders
• Twitter: twitter.com/ntcapacitybuild

Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.