Holiday House Tour to Benefit Oxford Families

By Alyssa Schnugg
News Editor
alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

If you’ve ever passed some of Oxford’s historic homes decorated on the outside for the holidays and wondered how they’re decorated on the inside, attending this year’s Doors of Hope Transition Ministries Holiday House Tour might just give you the chance to find out.

The annual tour of homes will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec. 1 and will feature six Oxford homes on North 14th Street and North Lamar Boulevard.

The starting home will be the LQC Lamar House and Museum where ticket holders can pick up guidebooks. Tickets for the tour will also be available there to purchase. The other homes on the tour will be The Hardy home, 434 N. 14th St.; The Hill home, 512 N. 14th St.; the Khayat home, 421 N. 14th St.; the Swaney home, 634 N. Lamar Blvd.; and the Williams home, 620 N. Lamar.

“Guests will be touring the inside of the homes, getting a glimpse of festive holiday decorations, beautiful interiors and possibly hearing some great stories about the homes,” said Susan Bartlett, even chair.

One of the homes featured at this year’s Holiday House Tour is the home of Cindy and David Williams. This 19th Century Victorian Farmhouse style home was constructed around 1898-1900.
Photo by Jim Hendrix

Docents will be inside each home and will have information about the house, family and decorations.

Doors of Hope Transition Ministries helps homeless and at-risk homeless families in Lafayette County become self-reliant and financially stable. The organization has three apartments in which families can live rent and utility free for four to six months.

During the Self-Sufficiency Transitional Empowerment Program, families meet regularly with a social worker to help them with budgeting, employment issues, health needs, transportation, food planning, and child care. Families are asked to invest 30 percent of their earnings in an escrow account in order to have money for a deposit for their own apartment or home at the end of the program.

“Since 2011, we have served 58 families, including 109,” Bartlett said.

Bartlett said the organization hopes to raise $50,000 this year.

“This money goes directly into our STEP program and the Housing in Place program,” Bartlett said.

HIP helps families at risk of homelessness to remain in their own apartment or home.

Tickets are available at the Doors of Hope office at the Presbyterian Church or online. The price of pre-purchased tickets is $20. Tickets will also be available on the day of the event at the LQC Lamar house for $25.

Participants can also purchase raffle tickets at the LQC Lamar House for $25 a piece, or five for $100. Items up for grabs include a year of wine by Kiamie’s (12 bottles); dinner for 20 at the Oxford Treehouse Gallery; dinner for two from 12 local restaurants; a $500 gift card from Jones at Home; a staycation on the Square at the Chancellor’s House and more.

For more information, visit www.doorsofhopeoxford.org.