28 | Fowler Homes Queenstown: I Am Hope Foundation T T Kim Bowden Building for charity a ‘no-brainer’ “When you hide a problem, it’ll get worse. I Am Hope don’t hide that problem. They do the opposite. They go really public, and they talk about it.” REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT When Queenstown business owners Jason and Jen McGirr heard mental health advocate Mike King speaking on ‘The Morning Rumble’ back in 2022, it stopped them in their tracks – what they heard prompted them to act. The result was a charity house build that brought together local tradies and suppliers around a shared fundraising goal. That first project raised more than $400,000 and, with a second build now underway, the McGirrs, business partner Damian Yardley and their company, Fowler Homes Queenstown, are back for round two. Jason recalls hearing Mike speak candidly about the struggle to secure support. T T to page 30 “He was at his wits’ end trying to get assistance,” Jason says. At the time, I Am Hope, and its Gumboot Friday initiative, were operating without government support. While funding has since changed for Gumboot Friday, I Am Hope remains reliant on public donations. “The first build we did was a success,” Jason says. “We saw where all the funds had gone – it went to counselling for youth. So, we thought it was a no-brainer to offer to do it again.” This latest Queenstown build is ambitious. Fowler Homes has bought a steep, premium site on Conifer Lane above Frankton Road and is building three large units. The centre one is the Hope Home, with every dollar of profit from its sale going to the charity. The model is simple, but impactful: suppliers and contractors discount where they can; the gap between total build cost and eventual sale price becomes the donation. For Jason, the cause was an easy fit. “Mental health problems and suicide are so prevalent and unspoken,” he says. “When you hide a problem, it’ll get worse. I Am Hope don’t hide that problem. They do the opposite. They go really public, and they talk about it.” With two teenage sons, for Jason the charity’s focus on under-25s resonates. “It’s hard being at school now. My biggest problem at school – if your mates didn’t like you for that day, by the next day it was over,” Jason says. He says the difference now is young people don’t get that same break, with issues often following them beyond the classroom and involving people they may not even know. Fowler Homes Queenstown is building three large units on a premium site on Conifer Lane above Frankton Road. The centre one is the Hope Home. creating your outdoor dream • Bulk Earthworks • Truck Cartage • Site Preparation • Landscaping • Ready lawn • Hydroseeding • Fencing • Retaining Walls • Planter Boxes Cellphone 022 647 1390 office@quantumlandscaping.co.nz quantumlandscaping.co.nz
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