When people ask me what Blueprint does, I used to say that “we restore homes and hope through substandard housing repair.” We absolutely do that. But over time, I have realized that phrase doesn’t come close to describing what actually happens when we step onto someone’s porch.
A house is more than shelter. More than a place to gather with family. These homes hold the stories that make San Antonio what it is—the memories that shaped the people who still live inside them. When a homeowner is having a hard week, it’s often those stories, held in walls and floors and front porches, that bring comfort and grounding.
This week, we worked on the west side with an incredible homeowner—a woman who is disabled and has been largely confined to her home because her front deck and ramp had become unsafe. Gaping holes and structural instability made it difficult, and sometimes impossible, for her to leave her house.
As we began work, she shared something with us that changed how we saw the project. Her house was built on that lot by her grandfather. Every piece placed with intention, care, and a story behind it. She spoke especially fondly of the beautiful white pillars that framed the collapsing front porch and ramp—pillars that had stood there for generations.
Once construction began, it quickly became clear that saving those pillars would be extremely difficult. The structural issues were severe. Replacing them would have been faster, cheaper, and far easier.
Most contractors would have stopped there.
But our team knew those pillars weren’t just wood. They were part of her grandfather’s hands. Part of her childhood. Part of her story. So the team slowed down. They problem-solved. They did the harder thing. They went to painstaking lengths to preserve the original pillars, even when it cost more time and effort.
Soon, this homeowner will have a brand-new, safe deck and ramp—one that allows her to move freely again. And framing that new beginning will be the same pillars that have held her family’s story for generations.
This is just one example of what it looks like when Blueprint restores more than homes. At Blueprint, repair is never just about what’s broken—it’s about what must not be lost. It’s about preserving memory, culture, dignity, and meaning alongside safety and stability.
It’s also one example of how we get to be used by God to serve homeowners in ways that feel extravagant not because they’re flashy, but because they’re deeply personal—often in ways our homeowners have never before experienced.
- Tyler Ferguson, Executive Director
