Abilene’s Houses for Healing offers a place for Stephens County residents to stay during medical treatment
By Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan
When someone in a rural community, like Breckenridge, needs major medical treatment in a larger city, one of the hardest things for the family to deal with is accommodations — a place to stay. The patient may be in a hospital, but spouses, parents, kids and others often have to decide between the expense of a hotel room or the time-consuming trips back home every night. It can be expensive and exhausting, no matter which choice they make. And, many just can’t afford it, so they miss out on precious time with their loved ones.
Houses for Healing in Abilene is working to solve the problem by providing a temporary place to stay at no cost for those who are undergoing medical treatment in Abilene or who have a close family member receiving treatment in Abilene, and one of the houses is designated primarily for Stephens County residents. The organization is located at 3065 Hickory St. in Abilene.
The organization, which opened four tiny houses in 2018 and 2019, recently expanded its capacity with 16 more that are now open to assist people in the communities near Abilene. Eighteen of the houses are named for and intended for the residents of specific counties. The other two are for military veterans and first responders. Although each house is primarily for people from its assigned community, guests may be assigned to any of the houses, as necessary.
On July 14, Houses for Healing held an open house for a couple of the newly built houses, including the Stephens County house. Several Breckenridge residents attended the open house.
The other houses are named for Shackelford, Eastland, Throckmorton, Mitchell, Runnels, Knox, Kent, Scurry, Stonewall, Comanche, Coleman, Jones, Haskell, Fisher, Nolan, Brown and Callahan counties.
Each house is just under 400 square feet, including the front entryway. The open floor plan includes a small, fully equipped kitchen, a small dining table and chairs, a love seat, TV and a bathroom with a shower. Some of the houses also include a washer and dryer. However, construction on a new facility for a laundry and more is underway, so not all of the newer houses have a washer and dryer.
The organization also helps with transportation, meals and more.
Beginnings
Houses for Healing was founded by Brian Massey, who was called to the ministry in 2013. As he worked with his parents in their ministry, Massey sought guidance for what he needed to do. Eventually, he realized that he needed to help sick people and their families by providing them places to stay, food to eat and more.
One of the first inspirations for Massey was a woman from Breckenridge. He met her when she was receiving cancer treatment at Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene.
“I showed up on the day that she was getting discharged, and she said, ‘Brian, I don’t know what I’m gonna do. I can’t really afford a place to stay. I can’t drive back and forth. Just gonna have to go back and see how it works out,'” Massey said. “And I knew what she was saying. And I said, ‘I am so sorry. The Lord’s told me to do this, and I’ve been afraid to do it. Because who’s going to believe me? … And all these people, they say don’t do it, don’t do, it won’t work.’ … I said I’ve known in my heart that I’m supposed to do it, but I haven’t. And I said, ‘I’m so sorry. I’m not able to help you right now. But we will.'”
That conversation helped Massey decide what he wanted to do in his ministry. “I went to her funeral about six months later,” he said. “That’s the reality. People die because the church isn’t involved. Not on our watch any longer. Nope. No. We’re going to do everything we can to try to help out.”
After having just the initial four houses for several years, the organization has recently completed the final 16 houses, completing Massey’s vision for the project.
The property also includes a community center and chapel inside a house that was built in 1926. Still under construction is a large facility with areas designated for laundry, a pantry, bathrooms and a meeting room.
Houses for Healing is a faith-based, Christian organization, and there are several installations on the property reflecting that, including crosses, an “empty tomb” and more.
Community and Church Involvement
Although the Houses for Healing organization handles the day-to-day operations, Massey’s plan all along was to involve the churches and the people in the communities that the houses are intended to help.
From Breckenridge, Jim and Judy Caraway have been involved in the project from not long after it was started. Their son, the late Rusty Caraway, and his wife, Heather, stayed in one of the Houses for Healing houses during his medical treatment prior to his death in 2019. Since then, they have been instrumental in spreading the word about the organization and helping to raise funds and generate other help.
During the open house event, the Caraways were in Abilene, happy to take visitors around the Houses for Healing property and explain how everything works.
Each of the houses is decorated by members of the designated community, and the Caraways were involved in organizing the decorations for the Stephens County House.
Cindi Woodward of Breckenridge, who attended the open house, also helped decorate the Stephens County House, working with other local people on some of the items for the house. Josh Patterson made the decorative iron cutout of praying hands just outside the front door, Woodward said, adding that she tried to make the house focused on Stephens County. The walls feature pictures of Buckaroo Stadium, the lighted “B” on top of Clear Fork Bank and maps from Breckenridge and Stephens County. There are also photos of Nelson Ezell and Howard Pardue flying World War II-era airplanes and a print of a mural-type painting by former Breckenridge volleyball coach and art teacher Kyrah Bailey. Additionally, a large wooden door to the bathroom features the brands of several local ranchers. And, local leather craftsman Dana Boggs made the headboard for the Stephens County House’s bed, Judy Caraway said.
But, the church and community involvement isn’t just about decorating the houses. Massey said he needs churches in each community to refer people to Houses for Healing as needed and to help provide supplies for their house.
“The goal here is to give this as a gift to the churches of Stephens County, where the churches come to be known in the communities as the resource,” Massey said. “We want the churches to send us the people from Breckenridge that are going to Hendrick. Instead of driving back and forth, they stay here. While they’re here, we love on them.
“On the other side of that, though, is while we love, we’ve got the churches to pull together to take care of them back home,” he continued. “So while the churches back in Breckenridge are taking care of them, well what does that look like? They help them with utilities. They help them with their lawn, care for pets, their dependents, whatever it is that they need for the full package of the church coming alongside, caring for the sick.”
Staying at Houses for Healing
Those who would like to arrange to stay at Houses for Healing may work through a church in their community. If that’s not possible, they may fill out an application on the Houses for Healing website or talk to someone at the organization at 325-673-4673.
Cutline, top photo: Judy and Jim Caraway were at the open house for the Stephens County House at the Houses for Healing organization in Abilene on July 14. Their son, the late Rusty Caraway, and his wife, Heather, stayed at Houses for Healing when he was receiving medical treatment in 2019. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)