How might we help children of CATCH families in making their house THEIR home?
The FLIP (Families Living in Inspired Places) team began their journey by working with CATCH, a local rapid rehousing non-profit for families experiencing homelessness. Through interviews with counselors and CATCH alumni, as well as a tour of the CATCH office and warehouse, the team began looking into the time right after families are housed. On their tour through the CATCH warehouse, one of the student team members noticed the lack of decor available to new families and specifically the lack of children’s room decor and materials. The team wondered: what makes a house a home? What is it that makes a kids room a kids room? How can we help kids feel safe, welcome, and able to express themselves in their own space?
CATCH connected the team to a recently-housed family with a young girl named Mya. After learning more about Mya’s personality and experiences before CATCH, the team began brainstorming ways to bring inspiration into her new bedroom. A princess at heart, Mya dreamed of a room filled with color, art, and “stuffies” to snuggle at night. The team also learned that Mya was scared of shadows and needed to be able to put her toys, clothes, and decor in her closet before bed. The team set to work scouring local thrift shops for gently-used furniture that they could revamp in One Stone’s Foundry. Students sanded down items including a dresser and shelf, gave them fresh coats of paint, and decorated the pieces with stencils and original art. The students adapted a rolling cart for Mya to store her toys and shoes that she could easily roll into the closet at night and created a personalized sign for Mya’s door with the letters of her name. After Mya saw the final result, she could not contain her excitement to have her own special space. Her big smile brought some of the planning team members to tears. At the end of the afternoon, the planning team shared a spaghetti meal (her favorite food!) that they cooked with Mya and her family.
Outcomes:
25+ hours spent renovating furniture in the Foundry
Three new pieces of furniture, new bedding, and original art
Responses:
“[It’s] wonderful to see high school aged individuals with such drive and sense of community.” –Jeremy Blades, Director of Housing Services for CATCH
“This has been my most meaningful One Stone project, ever.” –One Stone team member
“I can’t say thank you enough.” –FLIP parent recipient
