This week I was asked by my lovely friend Paulette if I would like to use my love of renovating, décor and DIY for a great cause! Our church ‘Forefront’ partners with a housing complex in NYC which provides permanent housing for people living with AIDS and homeless veterans. In order to respect the privacy of the residents, I will keep the name of the 20-level apartment building private and simply refer to it as the Wellness Transformation.
The staff do an amazing job helping the residents get back on their feet and one of their latest desires is to provide residents with some common areas in the building to assist them in various areas of their over-all wellness and fitness. At the moment there are 4 empty rooms that they are hoping to transform into the following:
1. Gym: this room will focus on cardio and free weights.
2. Mind/Body/Spirit Room: equipped with yoga matts, stereo, inspiring artwork etc.
3. Consignment Store: to accommodate donations of clothes and house-hold goods.
4. Library: a space where residents can access free wifi, read and study.
I have been assigned the Library and can’t wait to create a beautiful study space for the residents! After speaking with Paulette, Forefront and the staff in charge of the Wellness Transformation, this is what the residents need from the library:
- A place to work on their laptops
- Comfortable seating to read a book
- Storage for books so they can rent them out
- A warm, inviting space for residents to retreat to for some quiet time
The room size is very small, measuring only 3.32m x 2.26m (10’7″ x 7’5″ for the Americans;), and my total budget is $600. It’s going to be tricky, but a whole lotta fun and hopefully a wonderful outcome for all the residents!
The Before Photos
– Penny xo
