Akron, OH Project H.O.M.E – We Are Underway!

DANA member, Sandra DeLong of Inviting Interiors, LLC and a group of community volunteers, has partnered with Shelter Care, a private, non-profit agency in her community. Shelter Care is a residential program for children, between the ages of 6 and 18, who manifest emotional, behavioral, or family adjustment problems. A continuum of residential care ranging from short-term crisis intervention, through intermediate or respite care, to long-term care in route to independent living, is the noteworthy contribution of Shelter Care to the community.

Shelter Care provides long-term residential treatment delivery through their Shelter Home Program. Each shelter home is staffed with a full-time, live-in married couple. The family model is designed to provide stability in the child’s life and to teach responsible living. Through the model of housing children in sheltered homes throughout the community, the kids are provided physical and emotional stability while they are taught responsible living.

My relationship with Shelter Care began after my meeting with their Executive Director, Mr. Wes Fair, PhD. Following my meeting, a Shelter Home project target was selected in Akron, Ohio. The choice of Akron was appropriate for the project because it will benefit the greatest number of girls! I discovered that all girls in the residential program live at my project residence on a rotating schedule. I think this will give our project great exposure!

At our Shelter Home, a brick Tudor style house, my target is their third floor TV/craft room. This expansive room has two dormers and a super quirky roof line.

My “must have” design elements include:
* seating for 6 to 8 people for conversation and TV /movie viewing
* areas for arts,crafts, sewing & quilting projects
* storage for all the supplies

My design will incorporate some built-in seating that doubles as storage. Storage is SO important because of the varied and numerous supplies needed for sewing, scrap booking, knitting, crocheting and jewelry making. I will be paying particular attention to scale, storage and being true to the architecture of our space.

Currently the project space is a cramped collection of unrelated items and lacks cohesive storage. Lighting is not conducive to the function of the space. The project goal is to design a comfortable well organized room where the girls who stay at this home can relax. I hope to create a sense of family and enhance developing social skills. Yes, I want to achieve all this while still allowing the girls to express their creativity and build confidence by crafting! To Climb Higher ... Dream Taller!

Shelter Care shares my lofty goals in their plans for children under their care. They want to promote establishment of achievable goals in the following areas: Personal growth, relationships family relationships, school and/or work adjustment, and a graceful, planned exit from the program.

My vision for this project is to provide a super space in which to advance Shelter Care’s objectives. I believe a person’s environment is as equally important to their self image as it is to their well being!

Currently, Inviting Interiors is finalizing the floor plan and developing a design board to be approved by Shelter Care. We hope to achieve necessary approvals soon.

Recently, I met three of the teens who live at the home and would benefit from this space improvement project! The young ladies provided valuable input on what they would like in the room. In expressing their ideas, it came across loud and clear that they felt honored that someone thought enough about them to give them such a gift. This was VERY reinforcing to my spirit!

Right now my Akron project home is greatly in need of furniture, built-in storage, flooring, lighting, and finish carpentry. For more information contact Sandra DeLong, DANA member, and owner of Inviting Interiors, LLC at invitinginteriors@neo.rr.com or 330-283-4114.

Shelter Care, a child caring agency, is a private, non-profit entity governed by a 12 member board of directors. Shelter Care is licensed by the State of Ohio Department of Job and Family Services as a child caring agency.