The organizers of a new non-profit have combined a passion for interior design with a desire to help.
“Feather-a-Nest”specializes in furnishing bare apartments in Racine that have recently been rented by people who are transitioning out of homelessness.
Over the past year, they’ve tastefully decorated 41 apartments with donated items, and things they’ve purchased at thrift stores, often times with their own money, although they do accept donations of cash. Jim and Diane Wittenberg of Franklin and Rob and Cynthia Suhr of Pleasant Prairie are the driving forces behind the group, but they’ve had plenty of support from their church, Faithbridge United Methodist, and others.
Speaking on Community Matters this past weekend, the organizers said they routinely receive referrals from area homeless shelters. "It's a difficult proposition, said Cynthia Suhr. "You leave the shelter and you get your own place--which is really wonderful--but how do you thrive when all you have is the bare minimum?" Air mattresses and plastic bags filled with clothes and other possessions can be the only things that group members encounter when they visit an apartment for the first time to assess need and preferences and take measurements.
Leaving it up to the non-profit to come up with beds, bedding, dressers, couches and the like is "one less worry that these people have," said Jim Wittenberg. "They can concentrate on other things to get their life back together," he said.
"Feather-a-Nest" doesn't stop with the basics. They'll add art work, vases and other pieces to make the apartment as homey as possible. "It really is fun," said Diane Wittenberg, adding that she loves to decorate.
The non-profit draws from a stock of items that are currently scattered in members' garages and basements. A family member that runs a lawn and garden business in Oak Creek has donated additional storage space. The group is getting close to landing a warehouse with office space in Racine, where they've targeted their efforts, just because the need is so great.
There are challenges and discouraging moments. "There are those days," said Diane. "But then you go there and you set this up and these folks walk back in with tears in their eyes--they're so grateful," she said. "You walk out and you're so uplifted."
The Wittenbergs are both retired from good-paying jobs. "We've been blessed over the years--I've gone on mission trips," said Jim. "You just get more out of it than what you give," he said.
“Feather-a-Nest” currently has a waiting list of four families.
Information on what and how to donate is on their website is featheranest-dot-org.
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