Friday, March 5, 2010

Dwell with Dignity


If you haven't heard about Dwell with Dignity, you may have been living under a rock the past few weeks. The Dallas based non-profit organization has been featured in our local media- DHome, Dallas Morning News, and touted by big name designers like Deborah Walker and hi-end designer showrooms like David Sutherland and Culp & Associates. The organization is the brainchild of Lisa Robison and Kim Turner who want to help families escape poverty and homelessness through design; one household at a time. Due to the rising numbers of unemployment and our harsh economic climate, the need is already great and growing.

How It Works
Families are nominated through Interfaith Housing Coalition, based on their requirements and degrees of responsibility that they have shown. Most families consist of a single mother and children, ranging from a just one child to multiple. The families are either homeless or have faced some type of hardship in their lives that they had no place to turn to.

How It Is Different
At a recent volunteer meeting at Again Design Studio on Henderson, I got to see how it all works in action. DwD gets just a few weeks notice, if that - most times it is just a week, of a family who will be moving into the apartment. That's where volunteered items, time and resources come into play. Pretty much all of the items are donated, either from individuals, showrooms, or designers. Lisa & Kim have a never ending supply, it seems, of energy and talent to pull out the best in people and companies and get them excited about what they are doing. They also have high standards. The point is not just to make it livable for a family, but make the family excited about living. The apartments look like something out of a magazine and I like what Lisa said about elevating the families standards, and most importantly the children's, so that they can see what life has to offer and work towards maintaining that standard of living and surpassing it.

How You Can Get Involved
There's a multitude of ways to help - goods, services, time. For something that doesn't take a lot of time and they always are needing - you can go to their Target registry and type in Dwell Dignity for a list of items they are needing for the next home - crib sheets and linens, etc. and contact them for their drop off location. That is just one small way of many...for more information go here...
They will also be at the Dallas Flea, Saturday March 13 9-4 selling their "Fresh Start" candles

From A Recent Installation




No Detail is Too Small



At Again Design Studio hosted by Leslie Pritchard
Leslie Pritchard, Again Design Studio

The shop is chock full of goodies from vintage, recovered chairs to cute accent tables - they also have the first location open as well , Again & Again up the street












At a Recent Workday Hosted by The Lee Collections (TLC Contract Group)

Lisa gets hands on






PHOTO CREDITS: A big thank you to Brandie Ramos w/ Bollinger Photography

You also might like...

Related Posts with Thumbnails