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BARTOW, Fla. - Most people who lived in Bartow in the early 90s will tell you tales about hanging out with Dan Aykroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis, Macaulay Culkin and Anna Chlumsky on a porch attached to a blue and yellow house during the filming of the movie ‘My Girl’. The home, which was the setting for a funeral parlor in a coming-of-age movie about a pre-teen girl who always thought she was about to die and ends up burying her best friend, is about to be a place of new life.
A few blocks away from downtown Bartow, the sound of hammers and saws rings out as volunteers and construction workers lay down new floors, install a new roof and landscape a home that has been a staple in the community for nearly 120 years.
Over the course of the past century, a blue and yellow home on Standford Street has been everything from a private residence to a bed and breakfast, but it is best known as the ‘My Girl’ house, and soon it will be Hope House.
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"We did know that this was the ‘My Girl’ house when we purchased it and, of course, we loved the film and we love the history that the house holds," explained Hope House Director Tara Johnson.
The 'My Girl' house is getting a new lease on life.
Hope House is a 12-month residential maternity program that prepares single moms for life and motherhood.
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The organization bought the house in 2022 from an investor. The home was purchased by the founder of Hope House and Bartow Ford stepped in to guarantee the house.
Side view of 'My Girl' house.
Johnson says there was another buyer interested in purchasing the home, who could pay more than Hope House, but when the seller heard that the home would be a maternity home for single mothers, he chose Hope House. He told the organization that his mother had run a home for single moms a long time ago.
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"He said it may not be the best business decision, but it’s the best heart decision," Johnson said.
The home needed a lot of work, including a new roof, new electrical and plumbing throughout the home, new flooring, and a new kitchen. Plus, all five of the upstairs bathrooms needed to be replaced.
Construction crews and volunteers are working to renovate the house.
The new owners said they were careful to keep the structure of the home intact. The front door to the home will be painted yellow and the ceiling on the front porch will be blue as a nod to the blue and yellow house featured in the movie.
The movie didn’t have a lot to do with Hope House’s decision to purchase the home. Instead, the organization bought it because of the home’s layout.
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Each of the six suites has its own bathroom and some have a small nursery as well. There is also a fully handicapped accessible room on the first floor, so nobody is turned away due to a physical limitation. Plus, Johnson adds, if a mother develops an issue during pregnancy and can’t walk up the stairs, she has a place to stay.
The suites are named and the downstairs suite will be called the Vada Suite to recognize Anna Chlumsky’s ‘My Girl’ character Vada Sultenfuss.
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Hope House says it will also place photos of the home throughout the years, including pictures from the movie, in a hallway to keep the home’s heritage alive.
Child actors Anna Chlumsky (R) & Macaulay Culkin (C) working w. tutor Leah Girolami during filming of My Girl. (Photo by Acey Harper/Getty Images)
"I just think it is the most beautiful story. I think, too, a lot of the people who are giving grew up in the 90s and so they can really see that connection made," Johnson said. "Maybe not the moms, they’ll probably be a few generations younger, but a lot of the people who are giving of their time feel that pull to the house and know the story and grew up with ‘My Girl’ as that iconic film of their childhood, and yeah, seeing it pass through, and going from the ‘My Girl’ house to the ‘Hope House’ and seeing new life being breathed into it. We’re just so proud."
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When the six expectant mothers move into the house in the spring, they will be joined by Debbie Kelly, the resident and program director for Hope House. She will live in a caretaker’s cottage behind the home.
Hope House plans to have six young women moved into the home this spring.
"I was a single mom myself and just really being hands-on and helping them figure out life, their faith. Helping them learn about their community and how it takes a village to raise their babies," Kelly shared. "In the 12 months they are with us, we’re going to be helping them learn and grow and equip them, so they’ll be ready to transition out of Hope House. They are strong, independent moms and women and ready to tackle that single-momhood life. We don’t want them to just survive, we want them to thrive."
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The 12-month program includes counseling, job readiness preparation and life skills training.
There will be a staff office located on the property in a separate building.
Hope House does not currently offer services to people who will not be a part of the residential program, but they have a lot of community partners who do.
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"When we have a mom who may not meet our qualifications, we can refer them out to One More Child, A Woman’s Choice, Options for Women, and other local centers that can give them the support they need," Johnson explained. "We’re not just saying no, we’re saying not us, but someone else."
The Hope House will have a garden out back.
Kelly says the ‘My Girl’ home is Hope House’s pilot house, and this is only the beginning.
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"With God, we know that anything is possible, and we want to plant little seeds of Hope Houses everywhere to bring more options and more opportunities for moms to give life."
The 'My Girl' house is getting a new lease on life.
Hope House is always looking for donations and volunteers.
Click here to learn more about the organization.
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