Recently I was involved with a really cool design "contest" with an organization that supports refugees. Finders Keepers partnered up with an Atlanta-based organization to help sponsor the competition that involved law firm teams challenged with decorating two-bedroom apartments for refugee families arriving to live in Georgia. The families are fleeing war and usually arrive with no belongings so the challenge is to completely furnish these apartments with less than $300. It took a couple of months but the law firm teams just held their celebration last week.
Almost daily I read blogs with postings about amazing treasures found at local flea markets, yard sales and donation stores. Wouldn't it be incredible if bloggers decorated an apartment for a family in need? My guess is that bloggers could create the most amazingly beautiful rooms and would do so under budget with money to spare for groceries!
I think especially in our area (Flanders/Belgium) it would be quite easy to keep the budget lower than 300 dollars to create some nice spaces, thanks to the low-budget things you can find here in our secondhand-shops and thriftstores. These thriftstores are a governmental organisation and their aim isn´t to make a profit, but to help low-skilled people to find work! I just love their concept and I think the main part of our own furniture is from these thriftstores :)
ReplyDeleteHave a good day! Thank you for all your kind visits and words!
That's a great idea. I wonder if there is something we bloggers could do to get it started. I would love helping out. We should def get together and talk about this!
ReplyDeleteThat would be a wonderful way to help. In NYC thrift store prices are not that cheap...the rents are so high here they have to charge more for things to stay in business. One thing a lot of people do here though to thrift is drive around on garbage pick up day and look for things left at the curb, as so many people throw away perfectly good items! Another way to find free goods is a web site called www.freecycle.com -- people who want to discard things offer them up for free -- mostly people who are moving and haven't been able to sell what they don't want to move. I wonder if your area has a chapter of freecycle?
ReplyDeleteWhen my in-laws passed away we donated all their furnishings to an organization that helps new immigrants. Since my in-laws were immigrants themselves I know they would have been happy to know they helped others have a new beginning.
What a fabulous idea!!!! I am a recycler and think your idea is something I would like to be a part of:)
ReplyDeleteJoJo, thanks so much for your comments yesterday at grannymountain. You are so right, few places still gather for Decoration. The memories of that time are forever in my heart. My Grandparents, Aunt and Uncles and cousins would all be there...it was like a family reunion.
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That would be a wonderful thing to do! I my little town, a house was decorated with only thrift store finds, by interior designers. Then they held an open house with a $10 charge to walk through it. The money donated went to the needy in our area.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic idea. I think we could do it here without much trouble at all. How can we get something like this started I wonder?? Thanks for sharing such a great idea.
ReplyDeleteYou can count me in too....a former deocrator of sorts...and with all my new found blog info it's something could easily be done....Thanks to Susan and her "Porch" she turned me onto the great things you can find at the Dolar Tree...
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