NEW YEAR, NEW LOOK at ALTERNATIVES FOR BATTERED WOMEN
Messner Carpet Expands Effort to Refresh Shelter from $2,000 to $20,000
Rochester, NY—Community spirit is alive and well in Rochester, as work is complete on the $20,000 makeover to the Alternatives for Battered Women shelter for victims of domestic violence. The facility received 4500 square feet of flooring, fresh paint, new furniture, AV, and artwork and window treatments.
Designer Dani Polidor of Suite Artistry entered the International Design Guild (IDG) “Design for a Difference” national competition, sponsored locally by guild member Messner Carpet—Rugs—Flooring. As the regional winner, Polidor received an initial $2,000 in flooring as part of the charity makeover.
Working together, Polidor and Messner Carpet rallied additional donations from local businesses, raising more than $20,000 in goods and services for the makeover of the shelter’s common areas. CEO PeterMessner said “My brother Greg and I walked through the shelter to see the room we were to upgrade, and knew immediately that we weren’t going to stop at one room.” More than two dozen businesses and individuals contributed materials, labor, and financial support to see the project completed.
ABW CEO Jaime Saunders reflected on the project. “I went to the shelter floor and slowly walked the halls taking it all in....amazing.” Saunders recalled “people were on the new furniture watching TV and quietly reading. The space is so much more professional and calming. It is nothing short of transformative.”
Polidor, recently named ABW’s Volunteer of the Year, refers to the community effort as “stone soup,” and said that she “trusted that enough contributions would come together to make a big difference.” DeChateauvieux said “Dani Polidor has been a tireless advocate for our mission and for re-designing the shelter space.“
Design for a Difference celebrates the talents of designers while bringing awareness to the needs of local nonprofits. As national spokesperson for Design for a Difference and celebrity designer, Mark Brunetz explains, “All too often charity spaces suffer from neglect because the majority of monies they raise are put towards providing services to their causes, leaving little for aesthetics that can have a powerful impact on the human spirit.”
Messner Carpet—Rugs—Flooring is the only Rochester-area member of the selective International Design Guild (IDG). Family owned and operated, Messner is Rochester’s premier source for carpet, rugs, and flooring.
Alternatives for Battered Women is the State-certified provider for domestic violence services in Monroe County. ABW is a full-service agency for victims and survivors of domestic violence and the emergency shelter serves approximately 550 residents per year.
Messner Carpet Expands Effort to Refresh Shelter from $2,000 to $20,000
Rochester, NY—Community spirit is alive and well in Rochester, as work is complete on the $20,000 makeover to the Alternatives for Battered Women shelter for victims of domestic violence. The facility received 4500 square feet of flooring, fresh paint, new furniture, AV, and artwork and window treatments.
Designer Dani Polidor of Suite Artistry entered the International Design Guild (IDG) “Design for a Difference” national competition, sponsored locally by guild member Messner Carpet—Rugs—Flooring. As the regional winner, Polidor received an initial $2,000 in flooring as part of the charity makeover.
Working together, Polidor and Messner Carpet rallied additional donations from local businesses, raising more than $20,000 in goods and services for the makeover of the shelter’s common areas. CEO PeterMessner said “My brother Greg and I walked through the shelter to see the room we were to upgrade, and knew immediately that we weren’t going to stop at one room.” More than two dozen businesses and individuals contributed materials, labor, and financial support to see the project completed.
ABW CEO Jaime Saunders reflected on the project. “I went to the shelter floor and slowly walked the halls taking it all in....amazing.” Saunders recalled “people were on the new furniture watching TV and quietly reading. The space is so much more professional and calming. It is nothing short of transformative.”
Polidor, recently named ABW’s Volunteer of the Year, refers to the community effort as “stone soup,” and said that she “trusted that enough contributions would come together to make a big difference.” DeChateauvieux said “Dani Polidor has been a tireless advocate for our mission and for re-designing the shelter space.“
Design for a Difference celebrates the talents of designers while bringing awareness to the needs of local nonprofits. As national spokesperson for Design for a Difference and celebrity designer, Mark Brunetz explains, “All too often charity spaces suffer from neglect because the majority of monies they raise are put towards providing services to their causes, leaving little for aesthetics that can have a powerful impact on the human spirit.”
Messner Carpet—Rugs—Flooring is the only Rochester-area member of the selective International Design Guild (IDG). Family owned and operated, Messner is Rochester’s premier source for carpet, rugs, and flooring.
Alternatives for Battered Women is the State-certified provider for domestic violence services in Monroe County. ABW is a full-service agency for victims and survivors of domestic violence and the emergency shelter serves approximately 550 residents per year.
I'm proud to have had a small part in the transformation of the Alternatives for Battered Women shelter for victims of domestic violence. Thank you International Design Guild, Messner Carpet--Rugs--Flooring, designer Dani Polidor, and all the workers, businesses, and members of the community who gave so generously! |