Blueprint Ministries Project Fresh Start 2026
Community Nomination Guide for Nonprofit Partners
Project Fresh Start is Blueprint Ministries’ annual whole-home renovation initiative, created to address exceptional situations where a home’s condition poses serious safety, health, or stability risks and where standard repair programs are not sufficient. Each year, Blueprint selects one qualifying homeowner or family to receive a comprehensive, no-cost renovation designed to restore safety, functionality, and long-term livability. Now in its second year, Project Fresh Start has expanded to allow trusted nonprofit partners and San Antonio City Council offices to nominate families for consideration, ensuring that this transformational opportunity reaches those whose needs go well beyond incremental repairs and where a full renovation could create lasting, generational impact.
The information below outlines who is eligible, how the nomination process works, and what nonprofit partners can expect when nominating a client for Project Fresh Start.
About Blueprint
Blueprint is a San Antonio–based nonprofit dedicated to helping homeowners live in safe, healthy, and dignified homes. We work alongside volunteers, skilled trades, churches, and community partners to address critical home repair needs for families who otherwise lack the resources to do so themselves.
What Is Project Fresh Start?
Project Fresh Start is Blueprint’s annual whole-home renovation initiative, created to address exceptional situations where a home’s condition poses serious safety, health, and stability risks—and where Blueprint’s typical repair programs are not sufficient.
While Blueprint primarily focuses on critical home repairs, Project Fresh Start goes well above and beyond our standard scope of work. Each year, Blueprint selects one qualifying homeowner or family to receive a comprehensive, whole-home renovation designed to fully restore the safety, functionality, and livability of their home.
This initiative is reserved for circumstances where:
The scale of need exceeds what individual or incremental repairs can address
The homeowner lacks the financial means to resolve the issues independently
A full renovation would create lasting, generational impact
Project Fresh Start brings together Blueprint staff, skilled trades, apprentices, volunteers, churches, and community partners to deliver a transformation that is not incremental, but comprehensive—allowing a family to remain safely and stably housed for years to come.
How Project Fresh Start Began
Project Fresh Start began last year when Blueprint received a referral from ConnectAbility, a trusted community partner serving individuals with disabilities. The referral involved Allison, a single mom whose son was involved in a firearm accident, leaving him blind.
Rather than limiting the response to the requested project of installing grab bars, Blueprint mobilized staff, skilled trades, volunteers, and church partners to complete a full-scale renovation of Allison’s home. Through funds raised during the Big Give, the project came together under significant time pressure, and the outcome was transformational—restoring the home that Allison and her three kids have called home for generations to a place that is safe and filled with hope and joy.
The success of that inaugural project demonstrated what is possible when a community comes together to support a neighbor.
Based on that experience, Blueprint committed to making Project Fresh Start an annual initiative.
Project Fresh Start 2026 will be the second year of this initiative, with an important expansion: for the first time, Blueprint is opening the process to allow fellow nonprofit organizations and the San Antonio City Council offices to nominate families/homeowners for consideration.
Who Can Be Nominated?
Nominations must meet Blueprint’s homeowner eligibility requirements and be appropriate for a whole-home renovation.
Minimum Eligibility Requirements
To be considered, the following minimum criteria must be met:
Live inside Loop 410
Own and live in the home as their primary residence (Blueprint will verify that everyone living on the deed resides in the home. Further, the home cannot be a rental property)
Live in a traditional home with a pier and beam or concrete foundation, not a mobile home
Have a household income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level
Live in a one-story home that does not have a metal roof
The home is structurally sound enough to where major repairs can be made to the roof, drywall, and flooring without the risk of immediate failure
Available for work on the home to take place between September 15 and November 15
A willingness to relocate to an extended stay hotel or Airbnb during the renovation process (This will be at no cost to the homeowner)
Project Fresh Start–Specific Considerations
Project Fresh Start is intended for cases involving:
Significant safety, health, or habitability concerns
Elderly homeowners, individuals with disabilities, or medically vulnerable residents
Families at risk of displacement if repairs are not made
Homes where a full renovation would meaningfully change long-term outcomes
Because Project Fresh Start involves a full, comprehensive renovation, only one household is selected each year.
Other requirements upon selection
Once a homeowner is selected, they will be asked to agree to the following terms:
Be willing to allow us to use their names, story, and image in marketing materials and media. Blueprint will ensure that all exposure is done tastefully and with the full agreement of the homeowner.
Sign a contract agreeing to the scope of work and acknowledging that most of the work will be done by volunteers and will not come with a warrantee.
Who Can Submit a Nomination?
Nominations must come from a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization serving clients in San Antonio or San Antonio City Council offices. Self-nominations are not accepted.
The organization or city council office that nominates the chosen client will receive public recognition and will be a part of the media and advertising campaign that goes along with the project. The nominating organization will not be responsible for any fundraising, but may be asked to provide extremely limited administrative support when appropriate. The nominating organization is asked to continue providing services to the chosen client throughout the home repair process.
What Does the Nomination Process Involve?
1. Submit an Online Nomination - now through April 30th
Fill out this nomination form by the deadline of April 30, 2026. You will be asked to provide:
Information about your organization
Basic household and demographic information about the client being nominated
Description of the home’s condition and the impact that it has on the life of the family.
A narrative of the family/client’s story, challenges they’ve faced, and how a whole-home renovation would impact them.
Photos of the home (interior and exterior, if available)
Confirmation that the homeowner is aware of and open to a referral for possible home repair assistance
2. Initial Review - may
Blueprint staff will review all submissions to:
Confirm basic eligibility
Assess overall fit for a whole-home renovation
Identify nominations requiring clarification or follow-up
3. Site Visits for Finalists (Approximately 3–5 Households) - May/June
From the pool of eligible nominations, Blueprint will identify approximately 3–5 homeowners for further consideration.
Blueprint staff will contact these households directly to schedule a site visit in order to:
Lay eyes on the home
Better understand repair needs and feasibility
Assess construction complexity, safety, and overall project fit
At this stage:
Homeowners will be told they were referred to Blueprint for possible home repair assistance
Homeowners will not be informed about Project Fresh Start or the possibility of a whole-home renovation
This approach ensures fairness and avoids raising expectations, as only one household will ultimately be selected
4. Final Selection (July/August)
After site visits and internal review, Blueprint will select one household to receive the Project Fresh Start whole-home renovation.
All nominating organizations will be notified of the outcome and we will coordinate with the nominating organization to notify the homeowner of their selection
5. Ongoing Support for Non-Selected Finalists
Blueprint recognizes that the needs identified through this process are real and significant. While only one household can be selected for Project Fresh Start, Blueprint will make every effort to steward other finalist households with care by:
Placing them into Blueprint’s pipeline for regular home repair projects, when appropriate
Exploring feasible repair options through Blueprint’s standard programs
Selection for Project Fresh Start does not guarantee immediate repair work for all finalists, but Blueprint is committed to handling all referrals with integrity, transparency, and respect.
A Note on Partnership and Dignity
Project Fresh Start is rooted in respect for homeowners and trust in our community partners. We ask that all nominations:
Be submitted with the homeowner’s knowledge
Reflect care, honesty, and dignity
Focus on long-term stability, not just immediate need
We are grateful for the work you do every day to serve our community—and for partnering with us to identify families who may benefit from Project Fresh Start.
Questions or Support
If you have questions about eligibility, fit, or the nomination process, Blueprint staff are happy to help before you submit a nomination. Please reach out to our Executive Director, Tyler Ferguson, at tyler@blueprintministry.com.
Thank you for your partnership and your commitment to the well-being of our city.
