We're so proud to know Nick Janzen and we're floored by his creativity, ingenuity, and generosity! Check out his interview with Ron Mayott where he shares what he is doing to restore hope for Texas health care workers.
"Just ask what the hospitals need and do what they say. They know what they need. They're obviously the experts...they're really excited for the help."
Thanks for sharing, Nick!
For those of you that know Doug Vignes, you know that he has either been part of the Blueprint Team or praying for the inception of Blueprint since the very beginning. He is a steadfast friend, father, and co-worker. We love him and he is an indispensable part of the Blueprint team!
1) Would you take a minute to send him a virtual "Happy Birthday"?
2) Would you pray for his work at Blueprint?
Here are some words he shared with us about our Spring Break group from McKinney Christian Academy:
When we arrived at the home of Ms. Adame and got up on her roof it was evident that this was a dire situation and the group from McKinney Christian Academy was there to help. There was a large piece of plywood covering a gaping hole over the porch that was sending water back towards the home. Years of water led to significant damage to the joists which had to be repaired. The team got right to work, and in just three days were able to repair all of the damaged wood, and re-roof the entire side of the house. Time and time again, with the help of the volunteers who come and serve with us, we see these transformations of old things being made newer and safer. We can not wait to get back to work serving homeowners like Ms. Adame with volunteers like those we had from McKinney Christian Academy.
In August 2019, Blueprint welcomed Judy Easley to the team as the new Administrative Assistant, Registrar, and resident mom/in-house-therapist for all homeowners and staff. As the Administrative Assistant, Judy spends a large portion of her day talking to homeowners. "Homeowners" being those applying for work and those who have already received work.
"When I talk to homeowners who call in asking for an application, I get to know a lot about them in a short time. Not only what repairs they need, but also some of the economic and personal reasons that they need the help. Women long-widowed tell me about having lived happily in the home they shared with their beloved husband. Often after his death the wife cannot keep up with repairs. Blueprint also gets a good number of calls from adult children asking for help to repair their childhood home where their parents still live. It's such a joy when these folks tell me the zip code they live in, and it is one of the areas where we work!"
As is true for all Americans over the last few weeks, work has looked a little bit different and Judy's conversations have taken an intentional shift to ensure the safety and well-being of Blueprint homeowners. "I try to just have a fluid conversation and not ask any pointed questions about the virus but want to make sure that there is family checking in on them consistently. We're trying to make sure that they have everything they need in terms of groceries and essentials." In partnership with H-E-B Blueprint has been able to assist these homeowners in the purchase of groceries and staff has even had the opportunity to deliver items on homeowner's doorstep.
"Connecting with strangers who are reaching out for assistance to improve their situation is a blessing and a privilege."
In the coming weeks Blueprint will continue to check in and be a safe place to land for those whom the organization serves. Judy will be on the front lines, making those calls and ensuring that each conversation is meaningful!
If you have previously served with Blueprint and would like to write a card or call to check in on the homeowner who you served, please contact the office at (210) 533-2761
If you’ve volunteered during the last two summers at Blueprint, you may recognize Jack Rider. This summer we convinced him to stick around and serve as the year-long intern. You can’t get rid of us that easily, Jack!
My role at BP is the year-long intern.
I heard about Blueprint from my parents two years ago. My dad brought down our church from Connecticut to serve with Blueprint on a family mission trip. While at Blueprint, my parents both independently called and told me how great Blueprint was. They both knew how I have always wanted to work for a service-focused organization, and they thought it would be a great fit.
In my free time you can find me spending time with my friends, playing ultimate frisbee, and watching movies.
I grew up in Westport, Connecticut, which is about an hour outside of New York City. It’s an incredible area with a rich history and beautiful natural scenery.
My favorite thing about San Antonio so far has been the community. Everyone has welcomed me with open arms and tremendous generosity.
My favorite vacation was going to Bar Harbor, Maine. On this vacation, I had the opportunity to explore Acadia National Park, try local foods, and spend time with my family.
The Dark Knight
Cookies and cream ice cream.
It’s our pleasure to introduce Judy Easley, the newest addition to our Blueprint family! Continue reading to hear more about Judy’s role here and some of her favorite things.
I am the administrative assistant here at Blueprint. I'm excited to help support the staff in whatever way I can. I heard about Blueprint from my daughter, Abby, who was an intern this summer. She loved working here!
Playing cards with my family, doing a puzzle, or spending time with my church family.
I grew up in central Iowa. It's a beautiful part of the U.S., with lush green fields and rolling hills. I miss having four seasons. It was a great place to grow up!
I love the northern coast of California! The Mendocino area has a quant lighthouse at Point Cabrillo that is a special spot to my husband and me.
The Sound of Music is my all time favorite.
Pizza! New York style or Chicago deep dish - I love them both!
If you haven’t already met her, allow us to introduce Gabby Melendez our favorite photography summer staffer turned part-time administrative assistant! She is full of life, always has a smile on her face and a joke to tell. We’re so happy that she’s been able to stick around post-summer to help us out around the office.
[with notes from Aubrey McKissick]
I heard about Blueprint through Youth for Christ. Layton came and spoke about Blueprint and I loved the fact that I was able to keep serving after the summer.
I have worked as a Leader in Training with San Antonio Youth for Christ for about a year.
I really enjoy painting and drawing although my art tends to look terrible. [this is not true and Gabby just “tends” to be super hard on herself!]
I have lived in San Antonio for all my life and truthfully I cannot image living anywhere else. I love the abundance of HEBs and the culture of San Antonio. [Gabby had to be pressed to think of a “favorite thing” and also suggested that the Alamo and Riverwalk are her favorite things, which we all know are no San Antonians favorite things…]
I think my favorite destination is Morro Bay, California! It is such a beautiful little town and it [the temperature] is in the 50s in the middle of summer.
I love Mulan!
If I had to eat one thing for the rest of my life it would be pasta. [Gabby specifies that she loves all kinds of pasta, especially Chicken Alfredo]
Stay tuned over the next few days to meet Judy and Jack!
Abigail is joining our team for a few months to assist in special projects. We are so glad to have her join us!
I grew up in San Antonio, and then went to college at the University of Texas at Austin where I studied Social Work. After graduating from UT, I moved to Athens, Georgia for a year and received a Master of Social Work degree with a focus in community development and nonprofit management. I have a special heart for communities and people groups living in poverty. I’m a lover of the Spanish language, Latino culture, spontaneous fun opportunities, being with other people, and eating ice cream.
I have spent a lot of time working with a ministry in Guatemala, where I first developed a passion for the poor and a love for the latino population. Throughout college, I worked as a youth group leader and had so much fun leading and mentoring high school girls.
I will be working on a number of different nonprofit development projects with my main focus being on the development of outcome measurement and assessment tools.
I first heard about Blueprint when I was in high school and Dee Dee, Executive Director of BP, was my small group leader.
I am excited to be a part of the team, share new ideas, and contribute to this work that is blessing our city!
Hanging out with friends or family, or taking a nap.
Ahh probably Father of the Bride
Bean and cheese tacos or a cheeseburger with cheese and ketchup only, hard call.
Come volunteer with us this summer and chat with Abigail! https://www.blueprintministry.com/kitchen
Ares came onto the Blueprint team at the start of the new year. His role as Assistant Construction Director will entail assisting in all construction endeavors including: camps, retreats, service days, etc. We are so excited to have him on the team and can’t wait for you to meet him!
My name Is Ares Messina. I’m 20 years old and am originally from Beaumont, Texas. I first met Christ my junior year in high school and I’ve been devoted to following him ever since. I have a huge passion for lost kids and love spreading the gospel through camps and sharing my testimony.
I’ve worked as a ministry site director for San Antonio Youth for Christ and as a youth/worship leader at my local church for the past two years.
I first heard about Blueprint in 2015 when I was part of the YFC group that came and worked over the summer, I really enjoyed it and always imagined I would make it back in some way.
I am really looking forward to creating a lasting impact in the community. At YFC and in churches people can choose how much they want to let you in, but to enter into someone’s home and make a difference where they are most vulnerable is truly powerful.
I love to cook and play guitar, but I will take any chance I can to do some fishing on the river.
Currently between Les Misérables and Logan (I’m a huge Hugh Jackman fan).
I make a killer alfredo pasta that I’m sure I could survive on.
I can walk on my hands, although I’m not sure that counts as interesting.
Interested in doing a construction project with Blueprint? Feel free to e-mail us at info@blueprintministry.com and we would love to chat!
A group of students from Houston, TX working on Ms. Bakers home Summer 2017.
Ms. Baker’s home was in great disrepair on the outside as well as the inside. Mirroring the house disrepair is the family that lives there. Ms. Baker lives in this house on the city’s west side with her daughter, son-in-law and 3 grand-daughters. The total income for this family ranks them just above the poverty level.
Both Ms. Baker and her son-in-law suffer from multiple health issues to include diabetes and back issues. Emotionally, there has been a great sense of despair and helplessness leading to Ms. Baker to suffer from depression. She lost her job which caused her to feel even more helpless. Her neighbors thought she may have passed away as she became so reclusive due to the condition of her home.
Ms. Baker was referred to us through the City of San Antonio’s Code Compliance Department. The referral came as an attempt to make repairs to keep this home from being condemned and having the family displaced from their home. The home had multiple roof leaks as well as a room addition in the back portion of the home that was detaching from the rest of the house.
Last summer, Blueprint volunteers began working to restore the Baker house. After several weeks of work, the house had received a new roof, new floors, new walls and ceilings, painting and a remodeled bathroom.
While there is still much left to do on the restoration of this house, Ms. Baker and her family have seen a restoration of their hope. Ms. Baker now has a part-time job and shows a great sense of pride in her home. She is funny, compassionate and most importantly – full of life and hope.
Ms. Baker is just one story of the 46 families whose homes have been restored this year to a warmer, safer and drier place to live and raise their families. Over 2,000 volunteers from 74 churches, schools, and businesses have partnered with Blueprint to restore hope to San Antonio homeowners.
We are grateful for all God did in 2018 and look forward to 2019 and all that it will entail.
Joe joined our full-time team this summer as the year-long intern. He is a longtime friend to Blueprint & we are lucky to have him! Get to know him a little more below.
I have lived in San Antonio my whole life and I just finished college at Abilene Christian University where I studied Financial Management.
I have been at Blueprint for the previous 3 summers as a part of the summer staff and I’m excited to be here all year.
It will be fun to learn from Doug and Layton, the Construction Directors. I’m also looking forward to being with the staff on a day to day basis and learning about how Blueprint Ministries runs throughout the year.
I love watching Spurs basketball and a lot of European soccer. I’m also a huge music nerd, so a lot of hours are wasted finding new music on Spotify, a music streaming service.
The Big Lebowski.
Probably Rosario’s, they have great Tex Mex that really captures the spirit of the city. Shout out to Whataburger for the best fast food.
I’m an elite level nap-taker but sadly that skill is pretty useless.
We hope you enjoyed getting to know Joe a little more! Interested in working with us during the summer as a part of the summer staff or applying for the year-long internship next year? Click on the button below to learn more!
Mary Rodriguez, a Blueprint homeowner, receives her scrapbook from volunteers working on her home.
They say "a picture is worth a thousand words," and that could not be truer of the photo-filled scrapbooks that our campers make for their homeowners every week of camp.
One of our homeowners, Johnny Williams, loves to show off the work that Blueprint volunteers did to repair the substandard living conditions of his house through the many scrapbooks made for him over the years. But be prepared- if you visit Johnny, he has collected many photos worth far more than just a thousand words.
Mary and the team of volunteers working on her home.
Every week during the summer, our groups that serve with Blueprint prepare a scrapbook to leave behind with the homeowner when their week of work is done. The scrapbook includes pictures of the kids with the homeowners, pictures of the kids doing the different repair projects and progress throughout the week. Relationships are built - lasting relationships - between the kids and the homeowners. Not only are homes restored, but hope as well. In the end, long time friendships and beautiful memories remain.
So when you visit Johnny, he will share stories with you, show you pictures of the kids, and you will see the joy and love he has for those who have served and the gratitude he has for the memories captured in the scrapbooks.
“My favorite part of the week was making our homeowner smile while we gave her our scrapbook.”
This summer we are welcoming some familiar faces & some new faces, get to know them all below!
Hometown: Owasso, OK
School: Oklahoma Baptist c/o 2020
Major: Sociology + Spanish
History with BP: 2nd year on summer staff
If you could eat dinner with one person dead or alive, who would you choose? C.S. Lewis
Choose One-Queso, Guac or Salsa: Guac
Fave Disney Movie: The Lion King
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
School: Southwestern c/o 2020
Major: Sociology + Communication
History with BP: 2nd year on summer staff
If you could eat dinner with one person dead or alive, who would you choose?
Carrie Fisher
Choose One-Queso, Guac or Salsa: Queso
Fave Disney Movie: Treasure Planet
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
School: Texas A&M c/o 2021
Major: Engineering
History with BP: Camper + Trip Leader
If you could eat dinner with one person dead or alive, who would you choose? Nick Offerman
Choose One-Queso, Guac or Salsa: Queso
Fave Disney Movie: Coco
Hometown: Katy, TX
School: Texas A&M c/o 2021
Major: Kinesiology
History with BP: 3 years as camper
If you could eat dinner with one person dead or alive, who would you choose?
Princess Diana
Choose One-Queso, Guac or Salsa: Queso
Fave Disney Movie: High School Musical Trilogy
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
School: Texas A&M c/o 2019
Major: Wildlife + Fisheries
History with BP: 2nd year on summer staff
If you could eat dinner with one person dead or alive, who would you choose?
Christopher Nolan
Choose One-Queso, Guac or Salsa: Queso
Fave Disney Movie: Treasure Planet
Hometown: Westport, CT
School: Wooster c/o 2019
Major: Sociology
History with BP: First Timer
If you could eat dinner with one person dead or alive, who would you choose? FDR
Choose One-Queso, Guac or Salsa: Guac
Fave Disney Movie: The Incredibles
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
School: Abilene Christian c/o 2018
Major: Finance
History with BP: 4th year as summer staff
If you could eat dinner with one person dead or alive, who would you choose?
George Harrison
Choose One-Queso, Guac or Salsa: Queso
Fave Disney Movie: Wall-E
Interested in Summer Staff 2019? Apply below!
Layton Kauffman, Blueprint's Community Construction Director, has the great joy of not only working on substandard homes in our city, but also building relationships with those living in the homes. This past week, Layton had a powerful encounter with one of the residents of a home that we began work on almost a year ago. Check out his story below.
Last summer we started work on a home that was in need of a great deal of repairs. It was the home of a grandmother living with two 20 year old grandchildren and one new born great grandchild. The home was leaking from the roof in multiple spots, had no hot water, no functioning kitchen sink, and was in desperate need of sheetrock repairs and flooring.
Typically, it takes multiple weeks to begin to establish a relationship with those living in the home, so I began to reach out to one of the grandchildren named Pedro. Simply just saying hi, shaking his hand and asking him about work. At first, you could tell he wasn’t sure about us. But over the course of a few weeks, he began to open up more and more.
This past week, as I was finishing the install of the water heater in the back of the house, Pedro approached me a little sheepishly. I could tell he was trying to articulate something but did not know exactly how to do so. He stumbled through his form of a thank you for all that we have done for him and his family. You could tell he was emotional and not used to having to formulate a thank you. I was able to express to him that we do this because we love him and we love Jesus.
As I began to witness to him, he said I know I should read the bible more but I also know that I am not worthy of love. SOBERING REALITY. The ensuing conversation was all about how no one is worthy of God’s love. My sin is just as bad as everyone else's and no one is worthy of God’s love. I ended my time with Pedro with a big hug and a time of prayer.
I am amazingly grateful for the opportunity to share the love of Jesus with our homeowners and their families. It often takes many weeks of groups coming in to break down the walls of distrust and hurt. Many times our volunteers don’t get to see these moments, yet without weekly volunteers, it is impossible for us to build these relationships. Every week a group of volunteers enters a home and they chip away at the wall that these homeowners build up, and by God’s grace and for His glory, relationships are built and the gospel is shared.
Stories like this one are why Blueprint exists-to repair homes and restore hope. Interested in getting involved with the ministry? Send us an e-mail at info@blueprintministry.com, we'd love to connect you!
Ron comes on board this month as the Director of Camps & Programming. He’s a veteran of youth ministry who can’t wait to get started with Blueprint. Learn a little more about him below!
I was born in California but raised in Texas so I can claim the best of both worlds. I love the beach and I also love Tex-Mex and Barbecue (essentials in Texas). I met Christ towards the end of my high school years. I studied Speech Communications at Texas Christian University and have a Master of Arts in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA. I have been married to my beautiful wife Bethany since June 2012. I’m an avid snow-skier having lived and worked in Vail, CO after college.
During college, I had the opportunity to get my start in ministry at Laity Lodge Youth Camp where I worked for 3 summers. Over the last 18 years I’ve had the privilege of working with students both with Young Life and a variety of churches in San Antonio, Houston and Huntington Beach, CA. I’ve had a passion for missions for years and have lead a variety of international and domestic missions opportunities.
From 2006-2009, I served as the Director of High School Ministry at University United Methodist Church activities and worked with Dee Dee Sedgwick during my time there. Together we took a crew of adults and leaders to Memphis to serve with SOS (Service Over Self). After Dee Dee made the transition to Blueprint, I helped out with summer programming at a few camps and introduced Memorial Drive Presbyterian to Blueprint when I was their Youth Director in 2010.
I believe in this mission. Meeting tangible needs of homeowners is a great expression of the love of Christ. I also appreciate the dual priority of repairing homes but also caring for the homeowners. Displaying this kind of love opens the door to sharing the love of Jesus Christ with San Antonio. I believe home repair with Blueprint & care for the homeowners gives us a glimpse of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
As an alumni of TCU, I’m a die-hard Horned Frog and you can anticipate me sharing my love of sports, food, movies and music with all of my friends. You can count on my support of the San Antonio Spurs and I will happily oblige any ticket offers to attend games in person. Bethany and I love food, music and television & movies. We love to entertain guests in our home and look forward to exploring San Antonio together.
Mexican Food. I’m pretty sure that heaven will be a buffet of Tex-Mex, Fajitas & Chips & Queso.
When I was 8 years old, I won tickets to a Michael Jackson concert through a contest giveaway at Burger King. We got to see the “King of Pop” on the 2nd row. It was great!
I’m known to make random jingles and sing them loudly to help motivate myself to keep going during the long-days of ministry.
Ron, we are so excited to have you join our team!
Aubrey joined our team this February as the Director of Hospitality & Homeowner Relations. She's a San Antonio native with a passion to love her community well. We can't wait for you to get to meet her!
I was born and raised in San Antonio, TX and then spent four years in Abilene studying marketing at Abilene Christian University. After moving to Austin, TX and receiving an additional degree in graphic design, I married my husband Michael and *happily* became Aubrey McKissick. Having both grown up in San Antonio, Michael and I shared a dream of learning Spanish and being able to communicate with our Spanish-speaking neighbors. We accomplished that goal when we moved to Costa Rica in December of 2016 for language school. After a year of Spanish immersion and the "Pura Vida" culture of Costa Rica, we are now confident Spanish speakers!
Since I've been old enough to hold a baby in the nursery, and not be in the nursery myself, my sisters and I have served in Children's Ministry at Oak Hills Church. Our mom has served in several capacities in Children's Ministry at Oak Hills and is still the Preschool Director. In turn, our whole family has the pleasure of volunteering alongside her! My husband and I have also had the pleasure of serving with the Austin New Church Kids and Youth in Austin, TX.
As a middle school and high school student, I double-dipped youth groups and would attend activities with both my home church and University United Methodist Church where Dee Dee Sedgwick was the Youth Pastor. As part of the UUMC youth group, some of my very best friends and I traveled to SOS in Memphis, TN to help rebuild houses there. I knew Dee Dee and Blueprint had adopted a very similar model to SOS, so I was already familiar with the work that Blueprint was doing here in San Antonio. After spending many years away from my hometown, I came back to San Antonio and heard about a job opening at Blueprint. Of course, I had to apply because of Blueprint's mission and vision help to rebuild my favorite city in the world, San Antonio!
I'm excited to connect with our homeowners and see first hand how improved housing improves their lives'. It's also exciting to come alongside volunteers who already know the in's and out's of Blueprint! It is rare that you have an equally equipped staff and group of volunteers.
My husband and I are both from San Antonio so you'll find us, with our families' and some of our best friends, eating Mexican Food at Garcia's, watching the Spurs, drinking coffee or going to the movies. My husband and I both share a love of letters and typography, so you may also catch us designing or painting something. Check out Mike's Instagram (@michaeljmckissick) to see his work and lots of Costa Rica pictures.
Unequivocally anything on the menu at Garcia's Mexican Food. Give me any mixture of tortillas, brisket, rice, beans, pico and salsa...guaranteed, I'm a happy gal.
I have three men named "Bart" in my family (my dad and two uncles on the same side), two aunts named Lezli and Leslie, and both my grandmas are named "Shirley". Sounds like we're not very creative when it comes to naming people…
I hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know Aubrey a little bit more! We can’t wait for you to come meet her in person.
Every summer, Blueprint opens it's doors to hundreds of students who give their time and hearts to the ministry and the homeowners whose homes are being repaired each summer. Joybelle - a student from Hope Church San Antonio - shared words on her experiences this summer, check them out below.
My name is Joybelle Grant. I am a sophomore in high school. I attended the Blueprint Ministries mission trip with the youth group from Hope Church San Antonio this summer.
Blueprint Ministries is an inner city mission in San Antonio, TX that finds local families or individuals who are around or below the poverty level and brings in youth groups for a weeklong camp experience. Blueprint supplies all the tools and materials to repair their homes while the youth do the labor.
This was my first service trip. I wanted to go to serve others and have fun with the other teens. The experience impacted me in a surprising way. It was different than walking away feeling good that I helped someone else, although that was true as well.
While working there, in a decrepit old house with the ceiling and walls falling in and layers of grime on the walls, I realized I am not the only one who suffers. This was not a brand new idea for me. I know that we all suffer in different ways and to different degrees. But sometimes because of the trials God has allowed in my life I can start to believe that I am alone in my suffering. Many of the people that we were serving had close to nothing and although I was able to appreciate how much I have materially, I felt we had suffering in common. I felt a sameness. There was a communication barrier and we really didn’t get to talk to our homeowner much, but I sensed a sadness. To see so much tangible suffering around me made me feel sad, yet less alone. It was comforting to realize I am not the only one that hurts.
Lots of thoughts followed: Suffering isn’t necessarily all bad - God allows suffering to show us his presence and love for us in the face of hardship, many times he uses others, sometimes I can believe that because I am suffering something is very wrong with me, that’s a lie. I can look at people around me who seem on the surface to suffer less and believe that it’s unfair, the truth is that God is wiser than me and perfectly just, that I have the same worth whether I am suffering or doing well, like really valuable sometimes I even feel angry and ask, “Why am I the only one facing this kind of problem?” We all suffer to some degree, it is inevitable and within the suffering there is God’s love and peace and the comfort of others who share our burdens. This was just one aspect of my experience.
It was also so much fun. There was a lot of fun in the dorm room with the other girls and counselors. At the job site we had fun during the demolition phase. There was a seemingly endlessness of cake at dinner. There might have been a Chinese fire drill. There was a memorable sawing of body parts of large cuddly stuffed animals during chapel. We enjoyed some Starbucks at quite an expense of peace between the teams.
Overall it was just a great experience and I can’t wait till next year!
Thank you, Joybelle, for sharing your experience with us! We can't wait to see you next summer.
Interested in coming to camp next summer? Click the link below to register your youth group.
Every October, a group of men from Whites Chapel United Methodist Church out of Southlake, Texas begin their trek down I-35 and head to San Antonio ready to serve. This group of men doing mission together started out in 2008 with 10 people and have grown every year since. You can find them each year repairing roofs, putting up new sheetrock, fixing holes in floors, and sharing the heart of Jesus to homeowners in San Antonio. We asked a father and son, Gary & Al Kaufmann, about their experience at Blueprint - read what they had to say below:
"Several years ago my son Al invited me to join him on a mission trip to San Antonio. My first thought was "that would be pretty cool" working side by side with Al helping people we had never met. I have now completed my second year on this mission trip, driving almost 2000 miles round trip to join the team from Whites Chapel.
While I was very excited on the way to the first home that we were assigned to, that quickly turned to a sense of responsibility - not only to the homeowners but also to the work team. Working with Al became very easy as we were both comfortable working together. At times there was a lot of joking, other times were stressful as things didn't go as planned, but we always remembered why we were there. At the end of the job we were always tired, always dirty, always satisfied and grateful for the chance to be of service to our fellow man.
Reflecting back on the experience I felt many different emotions: humility, thankfulness, shame (that people live in such conditions), accomplishment, and yes pride, pride in what was done for another. "
- Gary Kaufmann (Father)
"When I started coming to Blueprint Ministry five years ago with White’s Chapel Men’s Mission trip it was an eye-opening experience. I’m pretty handy with tools and pretty fearless when it comes to taking on remodeling projects, but these homes take it to a new level.
Inevitably, at some point during the weekend, usually while elbow-deep in plumbing I’ve never seen, I found myself calling one of the best remodelers I know…my dad. I’d explain the situation as best I could over the phone and he would try to diagnose it from over 1,000 miles away. After the second year of this I told him it would be a lot easier on me if he would just drive down from Minnesota and go on this trip with me!
Ever since then my dad has made the trip to Texas for our annual Blueprint weekend. Being so far away from each other, we don’t get very many opportunities to work together on these sorts of things. BluePrint has given us the time together to do something we both love in a way that lets us follow Jesus’ path."
- Al Kaufmann (Son)
Interested in booking a working retreat with us? Click the link below for more info.
We love our summer staff who come from various places to serve in San Antonio for the summer. Learn more about them here!
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
School: Abilene Christian University
Major: Finance
Hobbies: Basketball, watching soccer and music
Favorite Sonic Drink: Cherry Limeade
One thing you could not go a day without: Spotify
Hometown: San Antonio, TX/Fresno, CA
College: University of Texas at San Antonio
Major: Business Management
Hobbies: Sports, TV, sleeping, and helping people
Favorite Sonic Drink: Peanut Butter, Fudge and Vanilla Shake or Vanilla Dr. Pepper Cherry Soda
One thing you could not go a day without: Nothing
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
School: San Antonio College
Major: Biology
Hobbies: Church and football
Favorite Sonic Drink: Green Apple Cherry Slush
One thing you could not go a day without: Snapchat
Hometown: Owasso, Oklahoma
School: Oklahoma Baptist University
Major: Sociology and Spanish
Hobbies: Reading, music, Netflix, finding the best food in town
Favorite Sonic Drink: Banana Shake
One thing you could not go a day without: Phone
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
School: Southwestern University
Major: Communication and Sociology
Hobbies: Art & binge watching Netflix
Favorite Sonic Drink: Cherry Slush
One thing you could not go a day without: Laptop and drawing tablet
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
School: Sam Houston State University
Major: History
Hobbies: Basketball, reading, coffee and music
Favorite Sonic Drink: Strawberry Cheesecake Shake
One thing you could not go a day without: Coffee
Hometown: Owasso, OK
School: Tulsa Community College
Major: Business
Hobbies: Roasting Coffee
Favorite Sonic Drink: Large Dr. Pepper
One thing you could not go a day without: Coffee!!!
Interested in applying for Summer Staff 2018? Just click the button below!
As we kick off Summer 2017 here at Blueprint Ministries, check out these 10 reasons we love camp:
College aged students dedicate their entire summer to hang out with campers and help restore substandard homes for our San Antonio neighbors. We could not be more thankful for them.
The steady sound of noise from a building full of campers is our favorite!
After a day of hard work, teams will head over to Sonic to enjoy a slush...yum!
We love getting to know them, hearing their stories, and continuing a relationship with them for years to come.
Seeing adults and teens come back to serve San Antonio year after year is the greatest joy for us.
We love meeting and making new friends every year.
We love getting to learn what it truly means to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
The joy that comes from putting on a new roof, fixing up floors, painting a house and more for our homeowners is an incredible blessing!
This is an evening favorite and the perfect way to have fun with friends at the end of the day.
Every week of camp, students and volunteers give their time working on San Antonio substandard homes. In turn, homeowners live warmer, safer and drier, prayers are answered, and life change happens. What an honor to be a part of this mission!
We hope you will join us this summer in prayer; for our homeowners, full time staff, summer staff, adult and teen volunteers, safety, lives to be changed, and so much more!
The Big Give is South Central Texas’ 24 hour online day of online giving fueled by the power of generous donors, creative nonprofits, social media, collaboration, and you!
The goal of the Big Give is to support the nonprofits in our region that are committed to making South Central Texas a great place to live, work, and play.
Since 2014, 101,000 donors have given nearly $11 million dollars to over 1,600 nonprofits through the Big Give-making it one of the most successful giving days in the country.
Blueprint Ministries is a nonprofit organization in urban San Antonio that provides servant leadership training for youth and adults while restoring homes for elderly, disabled and low-income residents.
Blueprint Ministries is committed to making San Antonio substandard homes warmer, safer, and drier for our inner city friends.
1) "Like" Blueprint on Facebook and share our posts to your Facebook community.
2) Promote Blueprint Ministries by sharing this blog to your community.
3) GIVE: Donate to the mission of Blueprint on May 4th at our Big Give Profile.
*If you donate between 9am and 12pm on May 4th, all donations up to $1,000 will be matched by a local foundation.
Thank you for your continued support of the mission of Blueprint Ministries!
Blueprint Ministries is a proud member of the Coalition for Home Repair.
