In hindsight.

Ashley: Our MLK Day was a great event for all of us to work together on. It was a long day, but at the end of it we were able to say that we really did something special for the future residents of Grace House. I feel very good about the changes we made to the home, and I believe we accomplished many of the goals we made for ourselves at the beginning of the planning stages. MLK Day was meant to be a “day on” and not a day off, and I feel it was ON!

Brian: I’m not sure any of us understood how much work we were getting into, but we got it done. All of it. We worked ourselves silly with painting, construction and cleaning. Residents of transitional housing are often tossed aside by society. To know that we affected the residents' surroundings in a positive manner gave a great feeling of elation.

Claire: I think this project was very true to Dr. King’s legacy of service and commitment to the community. It was an honor to make Grace House more of a home for the women and children who stay there.

Erin: We quickly realized that we had an enormous amount of work ahead of us. Paint started to go up, everyone worked feverishly to make sure we got everything done, and our nine-hour project quickly became a 14-hour day. By the end we were sore and beat, but darn proud of what we had accomplished.

Jennifer: Being able to serve on MLK Day felt great, we really worked hard give the women of Grace House a home.

Joanna: A person’s environment is going to be what helps them grow. The impact of a simple piece of artwork on the wall is astounding. When their world is upside down it puts a person at ease to walk into a room that looks and feels comforting. The changes we made to Grace House are sure to foster some change-positive attitudes and allow the women living there to refresh their sense of self-worth. I am honored to have been part of a project that offers the residents a new take on transitional housing.

Megan: The impact of our project really hit me as I began to write our thank-you notes to donors. There were so many people whose generosity made this project a success. We received donations from people who lived hundreds of miles away from Grace House, who didn’t have to help, who didn’t know us and who didn’t have to care. These people stepped up and made our project possible. Without them, all of the hard work in the world wouldn’t have mattered. We could not have served Grace House without them.

Project overview, musings and media coverage from Restoring Grace to Grace House.

Household fix-its can be a chore. Painting, construction, cleaning – let’s face it, the process can be arduous. But for AmeriCorps preparedness members, renovating a transitional shelter was less of a mundane task and more of a utilitarianism venture.

The 14 AmeriCorps volunteers in the Red Cross’ Safe Families Program traveled to Decatur to fix up Grace House, a 90-day transitional shelter for women and children. They made the jaunt on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and sought to do more than revamp the rooms. They wanted to turn Grace House into a home – not just four walls and a roof, but a place of comfort and sanctuary.

Volunteers had six weeks to organize the overhaul of a shelter 180 miles away. They collected donations, put out media bulletins, contacted corporations and planned out the day’s tasks.

Megan McCarthy, an AmeriCorps member with the Safe Families Program, led the project’s planning and execution. She said the AmeriCorps members received 1,663 material donations and $950 in just a few weeks’ time.

“The scope of this project was immense,” McCarthy said. “With the limited timeline and limited staff resources on account of the holidays, we really shot for the stars on this one.”

On the menu for the renovation: Painting five rooms, thoroughly cleaning the living spaces, building countless furniture items and moving around bulky items. It was a massive project, and all crammed into a 14-hour work day.

McCarthy, who is also a member of Illinois LeaderCorps, said that there were several obstacles to the project. However, the project was a success and the volunteers had a palpable, indelible effect on the residents of the shelter.

“Grace House got what it needed, and we got to be a part of making that happen,” McCarthy said.

After weeks of reflection, project leaders say the extent of the project is still difficult to portray. But most members agree: After massive planning, daunting tasks, physical exhaustion and hours upon hours of painting, the residents of Grace House are now more likely to get back on their feet. Positive surroundings can go a long way. And at the day’s end, benefiting a part of society often neglected by the layman can feel downright good.

—Brian Lewis-Jones

From the Decatur Herald-Review:

“Americorps volunteers from all over the state spent Monday making the house feel more like home. That included cleaning and painting the five bedrooms and two bathrooms on the second floor, as well putting plastic on the windows and replacing the furniture …

… Day of Service activities in Decatur began Monday morning with the arrival at Grace House of a 17-foot truck bearing beds, linens and painting supplies. The truck and eight other vehicles carried 15 volunteers from Chicago, East St. Louis, Quincy and other parts of the state who came a day early for a training session at the Country Inn & Suites in Forsyth today.”

See the full story.

Thank you for your support.

Grace House is a special place. It's a shelter, a resting spot and a new beginning to many residents of Decatur, Illinois. This transitional housing program offers a second chance to the homeless women and children who desperately need one.

Thanks to the donations of people like you, the AmeriCorps Safe Families Program was able to help Grace House. We painted the walls, brought in household necessities and, in a palpable way, made Grace House more of a home.

The support from our sponsors and generous donors across the state made this restoration project possible. Current Grace House residents, future inhabitants and project volunteers are grateful for all of the help received.

Keep checking back for updated photos of the Restoring Grace to Grace House Project!