How might we help children of CATCH families in making their house THEIR home?
In Fall 2018, the Families Living in Inspired Places (FLIP) team began their fourth round of working with families who had previously experienced homelessness in partnership with CATCH, a local rapid-rehousing organization.
The team was eager to meet and work with a small family consisting of a single mother with a newborn girl and Sean, a four-year-old boy.
Sean’s bedroom became the focus of the students’ renovation! After the team’s first visit they were able to identify a few key issues that they wanted to solve for Sean. Sean had a bed frame that was way too big for his bed and took up extra space in the bedroom that Sean could use as play space. The team also learned that Sean was afraid of the dark. He had a small night light in the room located on the far side of the oversized bed. Providing comfort from darkness was something the team knew they wanted to solve.
FLIP students spent weeks connecting with Sean through empathy interviews and fun activities to get to know him better. After developing trust and using trauma-informed care, the team was able to learn more about Sean. He is a fun-loving young boy who loves animals, dinosaurs, watching his favorite cartoon Paw Patrol, and most of all Sean LOVES cars and trucks!
While making a second visit to the home to take measurements and snap a few photos of the space, the team members were able to connect with Sean even more, this time while playing with his toy car collection. Sean was certainly more trusting of the group and able to open up and be himself.
On May 18, 2019, the team carried out their implementation and gave Sean a new bedroom that fit both Sean’s wishes and the needs the team identified. After implementation, Sean, the family and team all played in the front yard of his house and shared root beer floats to celebrate his new bedroom!
Outcomes:
Projects completed in Sean’s bedroom:
Letters of Sean’s name custom laser-engraved with his favorite vehicles, hand painted, and installed on his wall
New light fixture with a dimmer installed
Installation of toy box for additional organization and storage
Brand new smaller bed frame to better fit the size of the room
Student planning team reflections:
"I loved the opportunity to get to meet the family and play with the kids. I think it was so special to have the chance to see the impact we made on them directly, and face-to-face." –Jenevive Briggs, One Stone member
"The implementation day for the FLIP service project was one of the most meaningful experiences in my life, and I felt a deep sense of purpose by the end of it. We arrived in the morning as a group on implementation day and spent the day assembling furniture, cleaning the house and shed, and transforming the four-year-old son’s bedroom so that it felt more personal for him. We installed new lighting, bed frame, mattress, shelves, and bedsheets in his room. It was a beautiful moment when the family came home and shared their joy at seeing the plans we had discussed in the months prior come to life. The FLIP team continues to do this project every year, and it is incredible the impact they have on families in the Treasure Valley who may not have the resources to personalize their home.” –Indigo Blauch-Chappell, One Stone member
