Andre Smith launched The Prodigal Son’s House, a non-profit organization devoted to establishing a home for homeless and recovering veterans, in 2015 and is now making moves to see that dream become a reality.

“There’s a lot of veterans walking into the community not having anywhere to go,” Smith said. “We can restore some of that hope they’ve lost.”

Smith, whose family hails from Selma, has owned the home and the plot of land, located at 10784 River Road, where the veterans home will eventually stand since 2010 and never knew what to do with it.

After suffering from alcohol problems following his time in the military, Smith returned to Selma to attempt to address those issues. After being arrested for drunk driving, Smith was sent to the Tuscaloosa Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Once he recovered, he knew exactly what he would do with the property.

“I thought to myself, ‘Let me give back to Selma,’” Smith said. “Selma, in a real way, helped me to recover. I didn’t think of this out of the blue, these are things I’ve been seeing for years.”

After launching the non-profit, Smith spent the next few years incorporating the organization, recruiting a board of directors, creating alliances with local advocacy groups and reaching out to the homeless community.

“We wanted to make a connection,” Smith said. “We wanted to let them know that we’ve gone through what they’re going through.”

So far, Smith has secured a variety of donations, which will prove vital to the house’s renovation and preparation for opening in March of 2019. A grant from Home Depot will provide all of the supplies needed to install a new roof, plumbing, electrical wiring, heating and air conditioning, as well as shelves, drawers and other necessities.

The concrete for the new foundation is being donated by Holbrook Ready-Mix and will be laid Monday. Frasier-Ousley Construction and Engineering, Inc. has been recruited for the contracting work and Habitat for Humanity in Tuscaloosa has signed on to donate some of the needed furniture.

However, Smith and company are still seeking donations to pay for the construction work, as well as other necessities that might be required to see the home come to life.

The building will house three to six veterans at a time and feature a staff to assist them in job seeking, recovery, case management and provide a rigorous schedule of chores, meetings and classes.

“It’s a well thought out program,” Smith said. “If they just need a place to stay, they’ll have a bed. We want to transition them into their homes as good husbands and good fathers. This will create a sense of family for them.”

For more information or to make a donation, visit www.prodigalsonshouse.com.