Three new Angel Build homes rise in Bossier City, Louisiana

BOSSIER CITY, Louisiana — The Fuller Center for Housing of Northwest Louisiana has raised the walls for three new homes on Jeans Street as part of its ongoing Angel Build initiative, a program created to honor the lives of Emily Perdue, Katy Watkins and Molly Reed.

The three Airline High School classmates were killed in a car crash on October 20, 2006. Nearly 20 years later, their legacy continues through the construction of affordable homes for families in need.

The three houses currently underway will become the 65th, 66th and 67th homes built by the Fuller Center’s Northwest Louisiana covenant partner. The builds are being made possible through partnerships with the Katy Build Tennis Tournament, Asbury United Methodist Church, The Simple Church, and Cypress Baptist Church in Benton.

The future homeowners — Willie Carry and Virginia Sowell, Ann Myles, and Almetrice Jemison — each described the opportunity to build a home as a long-held dream becoming reality.

The Angel Build initiative began in 2012 with the construction of a home in memory of Katy Watkins, who was an active member of Asbury United Methodist Church and deeply involved in community service. Her family has remained closely connected to the ministry’s work ever since.

Katy’s father, Steve Watkins, had already been involved with The Fuller Center prior to the launch of Angel Build, helping prepare meals for volunteers during FCH’s first-ever blitz build in Shreveport just months before his daughter’s death. He continued that tradition by feeding volunteers during the inaugural Angel Build in Katy’s honor — and has remained a consistent supporter of the work in the years since.

Through Angel Build, the Fuller Center of Northwest Louisiana continues to pair remembrance with action, ensuring that the lives of three young women are honored not only in memory, but through the creation of stable, affordable housing for families in their community.

Additional coverage and photos from the build can be found at the links below.