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Isaiah House Provides Comfort for Foster Children
Story by Melanie Jones
When Ronda and Corey Paulson met their first foster child at the back door of the Carter County, Tennessee, Department of Children’s Services, he was wearing too-small pajamas. The clothes he was wearing when he was removed from his unsuitable home were filthy, and DCS was unable to provide any that fit him properly.
The 9-month-old was fortunate the couple could come get him quickly. Some foster children spend hours—if not days— at overwhelmed and understaffed DCS offices, sometimes sleeping on the floor.
That situation has begun to change, however, thanks to a far-reaching program the Paulsons were inspired to establish in 2018. Thanks to word of mouth and a 2020 feature by “Dirty Jobs” host Mike Rowe on his Facebook page, their effort is spreading nationwide.
When the couple took the baby boy, Isaiah, home they lavished him with love and everything else an infant could need. But the Paulsons couldn’t stop thinking about something they learned in their foster-parenting classes—the DCS office is usually the only place for a child to go on removal day.
They thought of little Isaiah. They started studying the Bible’s book of Isaiah, including part of one verse in particular, Isaiah 1:17, which calls on people to “take up the cause of the fatherless.”
Then they thought, “What if there was a home?” Corey says.
Building a Movement
So, that’s what they set out to create. Ronda put together a board and worked with the local DCS office to come up with a workable concept. They raised money, bought a house, and renovated it to DCS specifications. They painted the door red, and they called it Isaiah 117 House.
The house provides space for DCS workers who now bring children there instead of an office building. Children and teens have access to baths and showers. They get brand-new clean clothes and toys. They have beds to sleep in if the placement takes more than a few hours. Volunteers cook them nutritious meals and comfort food.
That was 2018, and it was supposed to be one and done. “Clearly, we’ve learned that God had other plans,” Corey says.
Word of mouth spread. Soon neighboring Tennessee counties wanted their own Isaiah 117 Houses. Then, in 2020, Ronda and the Isaiah 117 House were featured on Mike Rowe’s Facebook show “Returning the Favor.” 2,000,000 people saw that episode on March 9, 2020. Then the calls really started coming in. Corey says they heard from people in 41 states and 4 countries wanting to start their own Isaiah 117 Houses. Now about 30 are open and more are in the works across 12 states.
“On March 13, the world shut down,” Corey says of the COVID-19 pandemic. “But our mission kept growing. We say Mike Rowe and Jesus are building houses for children.”