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Orange County Chapter
Painters @ Mary's Shelter:
 
 
 
Before and After Photos'
ASP World Staging Service Day, September 16, 2006
IAHSP Orange County, CA Chapter
IAHSP Orange County was formed in August of this year, so the Staging Service Day came upon us quickly. But this group proved that they know how to make decisions and get things done quickly!
The project we chose was to “Stage” and redesign the office, telephone room, Great Room, kitchen, and dining area of Mary’s Shelter, a home for at-risk pregnant and abused teens located in central Orange County.
Mary’s Shelter, a state licensed not-for-profit home, provides comprehensive residential care in a loving, supportive environment for pregnant minors who are in a homeless or other crisis situation and have committed to carry their babies to full term. This project was especially meaningful and poignant for all of us, since several of our ASP’s have adopted children of their own.
Our team rallied from the moment the concept was approved at our chapter meeting. Several members went with Debbie Takahashi, our president, to visit Mary’s Shelter in order to determine what was needed and what we could accomplish in one day. Well, like all the other chapters, we realized that it couldn’t be done in one day, so everyone volunteered to spend time in preparation for the big day using their specific talents.
Many individuals contacted sponsors on their own, while a group canvassed (blitzed, actually!) businesses in the area surrounding Mary’s Shelter. This fearless group, in combination with the rest of our chapter collected $1175.00 in cash donations as well as many contributions of materials and labor for the job. In total, our group raised over $10,000. worth of goods, cash and labor for the project.
Once a color scheme was chosen, work began. A local family-owned hardware store chain donated paint that fit our design requirements and a painting contractor donated his crew’s time and talent to paint the “Great Room” , dining area, office, and kitchen.
One of our members braved the freeways to go to the fabric and garment district to purchase fabric for curtains and pillow forms. She then made all the curtains, purchased and donated the curtain rods and fixtures, as well as donating 18 comforter and sheet sets. Additional ASP sewing wizards whipped up floor pillows, accent pillows, square pillows, round pillows, tube-shaped pillows…lots and lots of pillows, which were all then treated with fire retardant.
One of our ASP’s and her husband donated their design skills. materials and numerous hours of labor to createdtwo beautiful custom room dividers that combined welded aluminum and sheets of stained-glass-like resin.
Another member donated new bar stools for the kitchen breakfast bar. Dishes, linens, and glassware were donated. Ceiling fans were donated and purchased; while a local electrician donated his time to install them. A new desk, ottomans, material, silk ficus trees, and artwork were donated. An ASP team donated over 15 hours of their time to faux finish several strategic areas in the Great Room. Other members made silk flower arrangements… Oops! Make that “permanent botanical” arrangements. ASP’s collected donations of toiletries and purchased items and a local dentist even donated toothbrushes and floss which were artfully arranged by an ASP team to create an elaborate gift basket for each resident.
Our PR team contacted radio and television stations and newspapers and magazines with press releases.
Cort Furniture donated 12 dining chairs.
On Staging day ASP’s, fueled by donated donuts, bagels and cream cheese, platters of fresh fruit and strong coffee got to work stenciling walls, assembling and recovering bar stools, creating bulletin boards, installing window coverings, attaching privacy sheeting on glass doors, attaching new kitchen cabinet handles and drawer pulls, and generally working together with love for the young residents (some as young as 12 years old) in the hope that they will see that others care for them deeply and want their lives to be a little brighter.
After a quick break for donated Subway sandwiches, ASP’s continued to clean and
Stage and hang and paint until the Shelter shone.
For privacy and security reasons we were not allowed to be on site once the residents returned to see their beautiful new “home”, but Amy Braun, director of Mary’s Shelter (http://www.teenshelter.org), told us, “I spent the balance of yesterday and last night thinking and dreaming about you and the group! The house is incredible and the slide show is testament to that! The girls were very excited as they returned. They were so cute with their reactions, each one focusing on something different. My favorite comment was ‘WOW look at the size of those bowls, they are not only good at making things pretty, but they know how hungry you can get when you're pregnant!’, and… ‘these rooms just make me happy to be in’."
One of the most rewarding aspects of this project was that not only was it a wonderful experience for all of us to help others less fortunate than ourselves, but the chance to “bond” and get to know each other better. There is nothing quite like hard work and sweat to bring a group together!
Orange County IAHSP’s are looking forward to making next year’s Staging Service Day even more successful!
Visit the Orange County Chapter Website.
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