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Homeless mother of three receives "Extreme Makeover" home and a fresh start at Interfaith Housing Coalition

NeighborsGo.com - June 17, 2009 - Robin and her three children were anxious about their new living arrangements within the Interfaith Housing Coalition, an organization that provides transitional housing, programs and services to help Dallas-area families in poverty and homelessness.

Robin and her 13-year-old daughter walked into their new apartment for the first time and were overwhelmed. They had expected a simple apartment with the bare necessities, but this felt like a home, complete with new kitchen cabinets, a dining table with place settings and fresh fruit, beautifully-made beds topped with books and stuffed animals, and a TV cabinet with a special surprise inside for the kids.

"When Robin's daughter walked in, you could feel her tension about the uncertainty of their new situation," said Linda Hall, executive director for Interfaith Housing Coalition. "But when she opened the TV cabinet and saw the Sony PlayStation®, you could just feel the tension start to melt away. Suddenly she didn't want to leave! It was a great move-in experience."

When Interfaith Housing Coalition accepts a new family, a team of staff and volunteers begin to create a welcoming environment that is safe and comfortable, so that they can make a fresh start. In Robin's case, a group of 20 volunteers from Sleep Experts, including company president Christine Cook, spent two days transforming an apartment into a home. After making repairs and painting, they furnished it with beds donated by Sleep Experts and other furniture donated by Dal-Worth Moving. They set up a registry at Wal-Mart and began stocking the apartment with kitchen essentials, linens and toiletries. They completed the makeover by decorating and personalizing the home with pillows, fresh flowers, toys and books.

"Preparing an apartment for an incoming family is an important process because having a safe and comfortable space helps them regain their dignity, something often times lost in the cycle of poverty and homelessness," said Hall. "Christine and her team of volunteers took as much care in preparing Robin's apartment as they would in preparing for their own family to arrive. This kind of investment in our residents' lives reinforces the idea that they are worthy of a home and hope."

Interfaith Housing Coalition provides transitional housing, programs and services to help Dallas-area families in poverty and homelessness. The organization uses a holistic approach in order to help families make enduring, positive changes in their lives. Interfaith Housing has 49 private apartments in which families can live. Beyond meeting basic needs for housing, food, and clothing, services include a job search and employment program, budget and financial literacy training, parenting classes and counseling. To learn more, visit www.interfaithhousingcoalition.org.

Sleep Experts is a mattress retailer serving the Dallas / Fort Worth Metroplex and is the recipient of the 2009 Dallas Business Ethics Award and the 2009 Consumers' Choice Award® for business excellence. Through its Rest Assured community program, Sleep Experts recycles customers' old mattresses for donation to local shelters, and also donates a portion of proceeds from every mattress sale to help families in crisis. Sleep Experts has 34 locations. For more information, visit www.sleepexperts.com.

By Sherry Yeaman, Manno Yeaman PR