“At Dwell with Dignity, our mission is to help families escape poverty and homelessness through design; one household at a time. Our goal is to bring good design to those less fortunate, inspiring them to maintain a standard of living they can be proud of and thrive in. Dwell with Dignity is a nonprofit group of interior designers and volunteers dedicated to creating soothing, inspiring homes for families struggling with homelessness and poverty. We provide and install home interiors for families including furnishings and art, bedding and kitchen supplies, and food in the pantry.
Dwell with Dignity original project*
“When I embarked on the first DwD home project back in May 2009, I did so believing that a well-designed home could restore dignity in the lives of people emerging from the cycle of poverty. Fast forward six years and over 70 projects helping those escaping poverty, our team at DwD know this concept to be true based on the success seen in the lives of the families who, thanks to DwD, live in fully-furnished and professionally designed homes that inspire.
Before and after photos**
“Dwell with Dignity takes a “one household at a time” approach because each home represents a unique family with their own set of needs, personal style aesthetic, and dreams for the home they live in. Sometimes it’s as simple as providing a real mattress and bed instead of a blow-up one on the floor that makes all the difference. For some children, it’s moving them from doing homework on a hard tile floor to a desk in their bedroom that leads to better performance in school. For others, it’s having a dresser in which to store clothes that creates stability after years of living out of bags and suitcases. Helping families one household at a time means that each family nominated to Dwell with Dignity gets the essentials and personalized extras that turn a house into a home, and all are made possible by DwD’s small staff of eight, generous supporters, and committed volunteers.
“Home reveal days are always special moments for the DwD team and volunteers. They are often filled with tears of joy, plenty of hugs, and an overwhelming sense of love from all the helping hands that made the project possible.
Dwell with Dignity client***
“The absolute best days at Dwell with Dignity are those that we hear about our families’ successes after the design dust has settled. One mom of two little boys was thrilled to report recently that she earned a job promotion and now has plans to purchase her rental property and become the owner of the home we helped to establish. Another exciting day was when we received news from a mom that her 10-year-old son had his first play date EVER because his home inspired confidence and made him want to finally invite friends over. Another mother excitingly told us that all three of her children’s grades had improved as a result of having an organized study space in their rooms.
Two Dwell with Dignity clients ****
“As we continue to expand the number of families we get to serve, our hope is that the children impacted by Dwell with Dignity leave their childhood homes inspired by a new standard of living that leads to a life fulfilling their dreams.
Dwell with Dignity**
“We are excited to participate in North Texas Giving Day once again and have the opportunity to engage more of our community in our mission to help families escape poverty and homelessness through design, one household at a time! Join us on September 17 and amplify your donations of $25 or more to help one of our North Texas families Dwell with Diginity.
“For more information and the latest updates on Dwell with Dignity, visit our website www.dwellwithdignity.org, and be sure like and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!”
-By Lisa Robison, founder and president
* Photos provided by Dwell With Dignity ** Photo credit: Lance Selgo, Unique Exposures Photography *** Photo credit: Rebecca Roberts Photography **** Photo credit: Thomas S. England Photography