Ethan Thompson

My name is Ethan Thompson, I am a second year Dlab student at One Stone. During the Fall 2020 term I worked as a team member with an after school program called F.L.I.P. F.L.I.P. is an extension of Project Good, and works to refurbish dressers for families who are transitioning out of homelessness and are being housed through CATCH. F.L.I.P. students work to refurbish and personalize the dressers specifically to the family it will be going to, so as to make it more special and personal to the recipient. This semester we began by meeting remotely and figuring out a game plan for our team. We started a dresser donation drive, hoping to find some good, sturdy dressers to get us kick-started with the refurbishing and designing process. Many generous families donated dressers, and we were so grateful for their kindness. We ended up receiving 7 very good quality dressers total, and even got to meet one such generous family in person while picking them up. After getting in touch with our contact at CATCH, we were paired with a family who had recently transitioned out of homelessness, and in need of a few dressers. After contacting the family's it was time to begin cleaning and refurbishing the dressers. During after school hours, another student and I began the general refurbishment aspect, cleaning and sanding down dressers so they can later be painted and designed for the recipient. We are currently beginning prep for paint and stain, and our next step is to get feedback from the family about the personalizations they would like to see on their dresser. A meeting with the family has been scheduled, and we are all super excited to meet with them and get to know them and their needs better. So far, I have learned a lot about the homeless community in Boise as well as the organizations that work with the homeless to house them. This opportunity has allowed me to find new ways of spreading the GOOD in the Boise community. I have really enjoyed this experience so far and I can't wait to finish the dressers and give them to the families.