Transforming Rooms, Transforming Lives Refugee Family Project

Abuse Prevention Foundation Donates Funds and Support for Refugee Family"

Designer Home Tending, with support from the Abuse Prevention Foundation, transformed an Ethiopian Refugee widows family’s home in Salt Lake City, Utah. The refugee family had to flee their native land Eretria due to a war torn environment. They fled to a refugee camp in Ethiopia called the Shimbella camp. (see video below.) The family spent 7 very hard years there before the opportunity arose to come to the United States to start their new life of freedom and hope. Unfortunately, the family suffered more heartache their first week of being relocated to the Dallas area when the father of the family was crossing the street and killed by a car leaving the family distraught, devastated and in need of assistance.

For the "Transforming Rooms, Transforming Lives" project, the refugee family's entire home was redone, inside and out, receiving makeovers by Designer Home Tending. The Abuse Prevention Foundation helped with the home renovation, collected donations and donating furnishings and needed items, including a bicycle for the children.

The Abuse Prevention Foundation also donated the vaccinations, spaying and neutering of the family's adopted stray cats and purchased supplies, identification tags and collars for the family's new pets. APF works on a regular basis with local animal shelters and various projects to provide shelter animals with loving and lasting homes.

The project was under the direction of Designer Home Tending Founder Cathy Cardenas who concentrated combined efforts on transforming rooms and other common areas in the homes to make them more comfortable, useful, and aesthetically pleasing for the family.

On Wednesday, August 4, 2010, an unveiling and ribbon cutting ceremony was conducted by Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon who shared his positive remarks about the project. The renovation included new paint, carpeting, furniture, wall art, accessories, bedding, kitchen remodel, yard makeover and new appliances.

The project received wide media attention and was featured on the front page of Utah's Desert News as well as appearing in the Utah Section of the Salt Lake Tribune. Utah Business Magazine covered the project in their 2010 - More Ways to Give feature. There was also television coverage by FOX, ABC and NBC news.

Photos From The Project: