He calls the feeling “relief.”

After four decades of carrying a vision in his heart, countless hours of work, fundraising, advocacy, setbacks and sleepless nights, Dr. Jackson Drumgoole is preparing to stand in the middle of a dream made tangible.

On Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 11 a.m., Bridge Builder Communities will celebrate the “Welcome Home” Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Augusta’s first tiny home community created to serve young adults aging out of the foster care system.

Located at 1140 Merry Street in Augusta, the community represents far more than the opening of a collection of tiny homes. For Jackson and his wife, ShDonna Drumgoole, it is the realization of a vision they have carried, nurtured, and refused to abandon for decades.

But Jackson is clear: October 14 is not the end of the journey.

“Oct. 14 isn't the finish line. It's the moment 40 years of hard work starts turning into something that'll last for generations,” Jackson said. “Small buildings. Big purpose. And when those doors finally open, I might not know what to say. Honestly, I might not need to say anything. I'll probably just stand there and take it all in—finally seeing something I've held onto in my heart for so long.”

SMALL BUILDINGS. BIG PURPOSE.

An Army veteran, father, educator, mentor and longtime community advocate, Jackson has spent much of his life investing in young people and championing fatherhood, mentorship, service, and opportunity.

His decades of service have earned him numerous honors, including the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing his extensive volunteer service and commitment to community, and the National Father’s Day Committee’s 2013 “All-Star Dad” Award, presented as part of the National Father of the Year Awards.

Yet the work behind Bridge Builder Communities has been driven not by accolades, but by a deeply held concern for what happens to young people when they age out of foster care and are expected to navigate adulthood without the support systems many young adults take for granted.

Bridge Builder Communities was created to help change that trajectory. The community combines safe, affordable housing with educational opportunities, workforce development, life-skills training, counseling, and structured support designed to help young adults successfully transition to independent adulthood

For ShDonna, watching the vision become reality carries an additional—and deeply personal—meaning. “For me, it means knowing 100 percent, without a doubt, that God told us to do this all those years ago, because there is no way we could have done it on our own,” ShDonna said. “I think there is always that question: ‘Did God tell me to do this, or is this just something I want to do?’ I have no doubt now. This is all Him.”

For the Drumgooles, those words speak to a journey marked not only by perseverance, but also by faith—the kind required to continue working toward something year after year, even when its realization seemed far away. On October 14, what once existed primarily as vision will stand before them in wood, windows, doors—and possibility.

A COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER TO SAY “WELCOME HOME”

The October 14 celebration will bring together elected officials, donors, sponsors, community leaders, partners, and members of the public to commemorate the historic milestone. The Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce will conduct the official ribbon cutting. Representatives of the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, North Augusta Chamber of Commerce and Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce are also expected to join the celebration.

Following the ceremony, guests will have an opportunity to tour the community and experience firsthand the environment created for the young adults Bridge Builder Communities will serve.

The gathering will also recognize the donors, sponsors, builders, partners, and community supporters whose financial contributions, professional expertise, advocacy, encouragement, and belief helped move the project from vision to reality.

The name of the celebration is intentional: “Welcome Home.”

Because ultimately, the story of Bridge Builder Communities is not about the size of a house. It is about what having a home can represent:

Stability. Dignity. Belonging. Opportunity. Hope.

And for young adults preparing to take some of their first independent steps beyond foster care, those things can provide a foundation upon which a future can be built.

For Jackson and ShDonna Drumgoole, October 14 will bring the culmination of decades of sacrifice and persistence. But as Jackson says, it isn't the finish line. It is the beginning of something intended to last for generations.

Small buildings. Big purpose.

And after four decades of holding onto the vision:

The doors will open.
The ribbon will fall.
And what they carried in their hearts will finally become home.

EVENT DETAILS

WHAT: Bridge Builder Communities “Welcome Home” Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026 | 11:00 a.m.
WHERE: Bridge Builder Communities | 1140 Merry Street | Augusta, GA 30904
WHO: Dr. Jackson and ShDonna Drumgoole; board members; elected officials; Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce; Columbia County Chamber of Commerce; North Augusta Chamber of Commerce; Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce; donors; sponsors; community leaders; partners and members of the public.

MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES: Interviews with founders Dr. Jackson and ShDonna Drumgoole; tours of the Tiny Home Community; official ribbon-cutting ceremony; interviews with community leaders, donors, sponsors, and partners; photography, video, and B-roll opportunities throughout the property.