Alex

Alex Quinteros gawked at the huge drill with such eagerness, he looked like he might explode if he didn’t get his hands on it in a matter of seconds. This inquisitive 10-year-old didn’t have to wait long before Matthew McKillip, an associate with GouldEvans, handed him the bad boy power tool and let him drill the first painted wood slat on the side of the BrainFood Snack Shop. Quinteros was one the 14 children served by Family Promise of Lawrence, Lawrence Community Shelter and the Willow Domestic Violence Center who spend Saturday constructing two library boxes filled with free books for the community as part of the architectural firm’s 40th anniversary celebration.

Founded in Lawrence in 1974 by former University of Kansas School of Architecture classmates David C. Evans and Robert Gould, GouldEvans has grown to six studios across the nation. The firm’s recent work in Lawrence includes the Lawrence Public Library remodel, renovations at seven elementary schools and assisting with the design of Sports Pavilion Lawrence.

When contemplating how to commemorate their 40th birthday, the firm’s leaders decided that throwing themselves a big party didn’t seem true to their mission of community service, shared Whitney Lang, GouldEVans architect and daughter of founder David Evans. Instead, the board challenged each studio to engage in a project that addressed homelessness.

Not sure where to start, Lang approached the United Way of Douglas County for help. Together, they developed the BrainFood Snack Shop project, through which the architects got to work one on one with homeless kids, serving as friends and mentors as they taught them new skills, exposed them to new career opportunities and inspired them to excel in school.

The book boxes’ unusual name comes from the United Way’s ongoing BrainFood book drive, which collects children’s books to give to low-income elementary students in our community who participate in the Harvester’s BackSnack program. Each Friday, when the students pick up food for the weekend, they also get to select a book of their own, thanks to the United Way BrainFood program.

During the BrainFood Shack Shop event, the elementary through middle school aged children engaged in a variety of fun hand-on activities, including building the BrainFood Snack Shops. On the way to install the first Snack Shop at the Family Promise Day House, the group stopped by the Lawrence Public Library for an insider’s tour and to get books for the houses, a gift from the library.

“This has given the children we provide services for the opportunity to watch professionals at work, to have hands-on experience with a project from design to final product, and to have a day out to just be kids,” said Joan Schultz, executive director of the Willow Domestic Violence Center, where the second BrainFood Snack Shop will be located.

The experience was transformative for Quinteros, who now wants to be an architect when he grows up. “I’m having a blast,” he said, painting the wood slats that covered the boxes to screwing them into place using a power drill for the first time ever. Working alongside the team of architects, he said, “It’s a huge honor.”

“The kids who participated in the program feel really good about creating something they can leave behind them, like a legacy,” added Dana Ortiz, executive director of Family Promise of Lawrence. “The students see volunteering modeled for them every day they are in the Family Promise program, so they want to give back to the kids who will be in the program in the future.” As new children join Family Promise, they will have the opportunity to keep the BrainFood Snack Shop filled with books for community members to enjoy.