charity spotlight By Jane K. Asher, Ph.D.
HUMBLE DESIGN, INC. Transforming Empty Houses Into Homes of Hope In 2008, Treger Strasberg met a family who had recently become homeless. Treger was delighted when she learned they had moved into an affordable apartment but was appalled to discover that the woman and her two children were sleeping in nests of their coats on the floor. The situation introduced Treger to the daunting reality that many people face when they leave a shelter and obtain
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housing: They often don’t have the financial means to furnish their new residence and, therefore, find themselves living in an empty space devoid of basic household amenities. Inspired to help, Treger reached out to her friends and family, and, within weeks, she’d collected enough items to transform the family’s house into a home. Treger continued to receive donations of household items and furniture, all of which she wanted to go directly to
families in need. After calling several shelters, Treger identified a gap in local efforts to break the cycle of homelessness. That marked the start of Humble Design, Inc., which was registered as a 501(c)(3) in 2009, and sparked a mission to fill that hole in the system by designing and furnishing the empty living spaces of families emerging from homelessness. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, up to 50% of families return to homelessness within a year of
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