Grapevine nonprofit offers hope and home for single moms

The big picture: The Gatehouse has served nearly 850 women and children since 2015, with a goal of helping their families achieve "permanent self-sustainability."

• The nonprofit's program director, Chelsea Hinman, tells Axios it has adapted to women's changing needs over the years, from helping them overcome hardships to helping them navigate the post-COVID work environment.

The intrigue: The Gatehouse sits on 61 acres in Grapevine with 24-7 security, 96 apartments, a playground, fishing pond and picnic area.

• Participants receive a fully furnished rent-free apartment, along with child care help, career coaching, financial literacy training, legal support and mental health counseling.

Zoom in: Josie Medina, a single mom, lived on the Gatehouse campus while completing her nursing degree at UT Arlington.

• She now works as a nurse in Dallas and has her own apartment with her son, who is 16 years old.
• "To be here now, it is just what I always envisioned: me as a nurse walking down the hallways," Medina tells Axios. "It's the only badge I've always wanted to wear."

How it works: The women typically stay up to 2 1/2 years and can choose from the education, vocation and career tracks.

• Single moms in the education track can finish their bachelor's or master's degree while their children attend schools in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD.

• In the career track, unemployed and underemployed women can plan for a more stable career path.
• The vocational track — new this year — helps women pursuing trade school or an associate's degree in a STEM field.

The fine print: The nonprofit's funding comes from corporations, foundations and individual donors.

What they're saying: Hinman tells Axios the most awe-inspiring moment for her is seeing the women's sense of accomplishment toward the end of the program.

• "They will literally look at you straight in the face and say, 'Every single word I put on that application has come true,'" Hinman says.

Editor's note: This story was updated after Gatehouse corrected their figures to show almost 850 (not almost 800) women and children were served since 2015.