Statements
Mission
Project Redesign supports the new beginnings of individuals and families in need by repurposing gently-used furniture and home decor to create a warm and welcoming home. With the help of our donors and volunteers, we REUSE donated furniture and REDESIGN interior spaces to help individuals RECLAIM their lives. Project Redesign collaborates with nonprofits that provide clients with new places to live. Through a non-profit partnership referral, Project Redesign delivers donated furniture to these spaces and transforms empty houses into homes.
Background
The idea for Project Redesign sprang from a volunteer job some of our founders participated in following Hurricane Katrina. Given the opportunity to furnish a Nashville apartment for a New Orleans family who lost everything, these women solicited their friends, families, and community for furniture and household items. They were astounded by what they were able to collect, and the result was a beautiful home for a family who had experienced the unthinkable.
In the few years that followed, our founders (Karen Moore, Allison Douglas, Suzanne Snyder, and Ellie Billington) explored how they could repeat this experience for Nashvillians. In 2008, they approached the Martha O'Bryan Community Center in East Nashville and installed furniture and other items in the James Cayce Homes (Nashville's largest and most at-risk housing development). They started out storing collected furnishings in their personal garages and had volunteers help them move furniture in their Tahoes and pick-up trucks. They collected furniture, art, lamps, accessories, bedding, and rugs. It wasn't easy, but they were hooked. Eventually, the women rented three garage-size storage units off of Charlotte Avenue in Nashville and hired movers.
It soon became apparent that other non-profit organizations needed their services. In 2011, Project Redesign obtained its 501c3 status and became a non-profit organization in its own right. The women and their team of volunteers began working with the Salvation Army, YWCA, Domestic Violence Center, Magdalene House (now Thistle Farms), Mending Hearts, Safe Haven, and many others. They furnished homes for individuals or families who were coming out of homelessness or treatment and trying to get back on their feet. They also took on large communal spaces in non-profit centers and schools and have donated everything from room air conditioners to mattresses to those in need.
Today, Project Redesign is proud to partner with 12 different nonprofit organizations, installing eight homes or apartments per month. Project Redesign takes great pride in the rooms we deliver, and we are always grateful for the opportunity to tailor our furniture installs to the needs of our partners and clients in order to make houses into homes.
Impact
In 2023, Project Redesign completed 88 home installations, impacting a total of 339 people (152 children and 187 adults). In addition, Project Redesign helped the community reuse and recycle 125 loads of donated furniture for partner installations.
Needs
Project Redesign's goal for 2024 is to install donated furniture in 100 homes or apartments. In order to achieve this goal, we need: 1) Furniture donations. Donors can submit donate furniture forms at our website and see a list of the items that we do and do not take. 2) Volunteers. Individuals and groups that wish to volunteer at an install site can submit a volunteer form at our website under the "volunteer" tab, and our project manager will respond at her earliest convenience with an install opportunity. 3) Monetary support to offset moving expenses (our biggest expense!) and the price of furniture for our nonprofit partners. Please see the donate button on our website or look into attending one of our annual fundraisers (i.e. our Sip and Shop or Girls Night Out event) to support us monetarily. *Updates regarding all of these needs are emailed in our quarterly newsletter, which anyone can sign up to receive via our website.*
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Housing, Shelter - Home Improvements/Repairs |
| Secondary Category: | Housing, Shelter - Housing Support |
| Tertiary Category: | Environment - Recycling |
Areas Served
While we started out by serving Nashville and Davidson county alone, Project Redesign is now proud to serve seven cities and five counties in Middle Tennessee.
| TN - Davidson |
| TN - Williamson |
| TN - Robertson |
| TN - Montgomery |
| TN - Sumner |
