"I love coming home now..." - [Keisha's Story]

Partnership for Families, Children, and Adults does a lot of great work in our community. They provide victim services for domestic violence survivors, rape victims, and many other groups that need help, support, and safety. I've been working with Partnership for several months now on various projects within their organization, and recently Homes & Havens was able to provide one of their clients with a beautiful haven in her own home.

When Nelly Cervantes contacted me about her client, I knew this was something we needed to make happen. I love working with Partnership's social workers and court advocates because they really care about the future of these survivors, and Nelly is no exception. When she met me at Keisha's home to walk through and develop a wish list for Keisha and her family, we both left eager and excited to see what we could provide for this precious family. I'm so thankful for our donors and supporters that enable us to say "yes" to these women and their homes!

Keisha has a smile and warmth that lights up the room -- so when she asked that the room feel as light and bright as possible, I knew we needed to create a space that simply reflected her beautiful heart. This is something that most of our clients ask for: "light and bright." For them, darkness and heaviness is something they are trying to escape and it’s hard when your home reminds you of the trials instead of the victory.

So we packed as much "light and bright" as we possibly could into her home.

We had an incredible group of volunteers help with this install -- a small group from Calvary Chapel Chattanooga + some extra friends! We used Bellhops for assistance with moving the larger pieces of furniture and they were awesome to work with.

I hope this home provides much needed peace and comfort for Keisha and her kids.

Keisha shared her thoughts on her new little haven:

"I was grateful to have a roof over our heads one that we could call our own, but it didn't feel like home. I love coming home now and I can tell my sons feel the same way. My bedroom is the best part. It's like a cozy little hide away. I am in love! It feels really good to have such a beautiful home. I never imagined this place could look like this. I feel that my children enjoy family time in the living room now. I could even invite people over without embarrassment."