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4 “For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.”
– Hebrews 3:4
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There are moments when you look around and realize that something you have talked about, prayed about, planned for, and worked toward for years is no longer just a vision. It is happening right in front of you.
That is what this season feels like at Elevate Branson. Tiny homes that once existed only on drawings are becoming homes for real people. Neighbors who came through our doors looking for an opportunity are finding employment, transportation, relationships, and stability. Children are finding safe places to learn and play. Entrepreneurs are discovering that an idea can become a business. And people throughout our community continue stepping forward to say, “How can I help?”
Last month, hundreds of people gathered for our annual Vision Dinner. It was an opportunity to celebrate how far we have come, but more importantly, to look toward where we are going. The evening reminded me that none of this happens because of one person, one donor, one program, or one organization. Transformation happens when a community decides that everyone deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential.
October reminds us that there is still much work ahead. But after years of overcoming obstacles, there is something pretty incredible about walking across our campus and seeing the vision becoming reality.
Thank you for building it with us.
"Great things are done by a series of small things brought together."
– Vincent van Gogh
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Bryan Stallings
Founder, Elevate Branson
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| THANK YOU FOR AN INCREDIBLE VISION DINNER | | |
What an incredible evening!
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this year's Elevate Branson Vision Dinner. Seeing so many friends, partners, volunteers, donors, and community leaders gathered together reminded us just how many people believe in creating a Branson where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
The Vision Dinner is about much more than one evening. It is an opportunity to share where we have been, celebrate lives being changed today, and invite our community into the vision for what comes next.
Throughout the evening, we shared stories that demonstrate why housing, employment, transportation, education, relationships, and belonging cannot be addressed independently. Lasting change happens when people have access to the tools, opportunities, and healthy relationships they need to move from surviving to thriving.
To everyone who attended, invited a guest, volunteered, sponsored, gave, prayed, or helped make the evening possible: thank you.
The dinner may be over, but the vision is just getting started.
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ELEVATE COMMUNITY
We're Building More Than Houses
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For years, we talked about what Elevate Community could become. Today, we can walk through it.
Homes are being placed. Residents are moving in. Infrastructure is being completed. Fences, sidewalks, utilities, landscaping, and all the little details that turn a construction project into a neighborhood are coming together.
Our current schedule calls for the first 35 homes to be completed by this year, followed by the next phase of 35 homes. When complete, Elevate Community will include 70 permanent, affordable tiny homes right here on the Elevate Branson campus. But the most exciting part isn't the number 70.
It's the people who will call those 70 houses home. For someone who has spent years living week-to-week in a motel or moving from one temporary situation to another, having a front door, a kitchen, a bedroom, and a place that is truly yours can change everything.
And at Elevate Community, housing is only the beginning. Residents are surrounded by opportunities for employment, transportation, health resources, personal coaching, relationships, and community.
Because we don't simply want someone to have a house.
We want them to have a home, a community, and an opportunity to build a different future.
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A key part of Elevate Community is something you can't see from the road: relationships.
Every resident has access to personal coaching and meets regularly with someone who knows their story, understands their goals, celebrates their progress, and can help connect them with resources when challenges arise.
We will also track indicators such as employment, income, health, and overall stability so we can better understand the long-term impact of permanent affordable housing combined with supportive relationships and services.
The question we want to answer isn't simply, “Did someone get housed?”
We want to know: Are they healthier? Are they more financially stable? Are they growing in employment? Are they building healthy relationships? Do they feel like they belong? Are they moving toward their full potential?
Those are the outcomes that turn housing into lasting transformation.
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ELEVATE WORK
More Than Finding A Job
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A job can change someone's income.
The right job, and the skills and relationships needed to keep it, can change someone's future.
Elevate Work continues helping neighbors develop the practical and personal skills necessary to succeed in today's workplace. Participants learn communication, conflict resolution, financial literacy, workplace expectations, goal setting, personal responsibility, and other skills employers tell us are essential.
But there is another ingredient that may be even more important: someone believing in you.
Mentors walk alongside participants, encourage them when things become difficult, celebrate their victories, and remind them that their past does not have to determine their future.
Employment provides more than a paycheck. It can provide purpose, confidence, independence, and the ability to begin imagining a different life.
That's why meaningful employment remains at the heart of what we do.
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Sometimes the distance between unemployment and employment is only a few miles.
But without transportation, those few miles might as well be a hundred.
Elevate Rides continues helping neighbors overcome one of the most significant barriers to employment in our community by providing affordable scooter rentals. Last month, we celebrated surpassing 100 rentals for the season.
Behind every rental is a person trying to get somewhere: to work, to an appointment, to the grocery store, or simply toward greater independence.
Transportation isn't glamorous. But when you don't have it, almost everything else becomes harder.
Sometimes changing someone's future begins by simply helping them get to work tomorrow morning.
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| EVERY CHILD DESERVES A CHILDHOOD | | |
A child's address should not determine the size of their dreams.
For some children in our community, home has meant a single motel room and their playground has been a parking lot. Instability can become such a normal part of childhood that simply having a safe place to play, learn, explore, and laugh becomes something extraordinary.
Through Elevate Kids and the continued development of our natural playground, we want children to have something every child deserves:
A childhood.
A place to get dirty. A place to explore. A place to imagine. A place to make friends. A place where, for a little while, they don't have to think about the challenges facing their family.
They simply get to be kids.
And sometimes giving a child room to dream is the first step toward helping them believe their future can look different.
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Supporting Elevate Branson doesn't always mean writing a check.
You can support the mission simply by doing things you're already doing.
Stop by the Elevate Thrift Store to shop for clothing, furniture, household goods, and unexpected treasures—or donate gently used items that can find a new home.
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Then visit Elevate Café & Coffee for coffee, lunch, pizza, or a sandwich.
Every purchase helps generate revenue that supports the programs and services helping our neighbors move toward greater stability and independence.
So bring a friend, grab some coffee, hunt for a thrift-store treasure, and know that your purchase has a purpose.
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| LOOK WHAT WE'RE BUILDING TOGETHER | | |
Homes.
Jobs.
Businesses.
Transportation.
Education.
Relationships.
Belonging.
Individually, each one matters. Together, they can change the trajectory of a person's life.
As we move into the final months of the year, we are incredibly grateful for everyone who has chosen to be part of this work. Whether you give, volunteer, mentor, donate, shop, pray, employ one of our neighbors, or simply tell someone about Elevate Branson, you have a role in this story.
There is still much to do.
There are still neighbors waiting for an opportunity.
And there are still dreams waiting to become reality.
Together, we are building a Branson where everyone belongs and everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential.
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Looking to give back to the community? We have several volunteer opportunities available this month:
- Tutors for our education programs
- Cooks for our Elevate Life program
- Landscapers for our Playground
If you're interested, please sign up on our website or contact our volunteer coordinator at Volunteer@ElevateBranson.org.
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A heartfelt thank you to our generous donors who make our work possible. Your contributions have a direct impact on the lives of many in our community. Together, we are making a difference. | | | Thank you for being a part of the Elevate Branson family. We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events and continuing to make a positive impact together. | |
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Warm regards,
The Elevate Branson Team
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Swing by on your morning commute or stop in for a mid-day pick-me-up! Elevate Coffee provides hand crafted espresso based drinks, refreshing smoothies, and delicious desserts. Now featuring daily lunch specials!
Hours
Monday - Friday: 8:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M.
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Open For Business!
Come find a treasure at the Elevate Thrift Store while helping our neighbors and community prosper! All purchases support the programs at Elevate Branson.
Hours
Monday – Friday: 9:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M.
Saturday: 9:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.
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Get Involved And Make A Difference!
Call 417.335.9915 or email Info@ElevateBranson.org to learn more about volunteer opportunities where your time and talents can empower others to reach their full potential.
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