The second annual Home for the Holidays partnership, which will put a homeless family into an apartment on Christmas morning and pay for their rent, utilities and food for a year, got an extra dose of design this year.
Dwell with Dignity, a Dallas nonprofit whose mission is "to help families escape poverty and homelessness through design," joined NBC 5, the Dallas Omni Hotel, the Soupmobile, Kroger and other partners to make this dream a reality for a family in need.
"Where you live, your home environment, it informs who you are and it reflects who you are," Dwell with Dignity Founder and CEO Lisa Robison said. "So it's not just things in your home, it's all these pieces and parts of a home environment that enrich your life."
Dwell with Dignity gets its clients based upon recommendations from 12 Dallas-area agencies, like the Genesis Women's Shelter. Once they have been matched with a family, the professional interior designers with Dwell with Dignity meet with their clients to get a better idea of their specific tastes and preferences.
The design team will then pair newly-purchased items, like bedding and linens, with repurposed, otherwise unusable furniture to help craft an interior space that can make a house feel like a home for their clients.
"They need more than just a roof over their head," Robison said. "I think a lot of times people think, 'Oh well, they're fine. They have a roof over their head.' But in order for us to have a community where we have thriving families who have hope for the future, I think that they need to be able to go home at night to a place where they can sleep and feel comfortable."
The Home for the Holidays effort is just one example of the work Dwell with Dignity does. For example, in 2017 Dwell with Dignity expects to fully furnish 25 homes for clients in the Dallas area.
