![Up Close with C4:
From Cluttered Places to Healing Spaces
Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4) opened in 1972 as a
one-room storefront providing psychiatric services. Today it offers
comprehensive services for individuals and families throughout the North
Side. C4 received funding in 2012 to expand its facilities, but there was
a small gap in the budget. Enter Designs for Dignity, which helped make
a real difference starting with the flagship site.
D4D had to think creatively about how best to plan the space to be
functional yet comfortable for clients. Rooms were cluttered, small, and
crammed with bulky furniture. The challenge was to create open spaces
with better lighting, within tight confines.油
When We Feel Better, We Do Better
Paulina Chirinos, a clinician at C4, says, [In the] old space I was often
sitting knee-to-knee with clients. Clients take ownership of the space, she
says, and were also excited about the change. Designs for Dignity created
a space for the healing to begina space that replaces sadness, anger, and
hurt with optimism, hope, and comfort. Kathy Calderone, clinical supervisor,
adds that, space was so cramped that clinicians desks were placed in
cubby holes and families would crowd together on a single sofa. The new
space helps the staff feel more organized and grounded.
Like a Picnic
Jesus and Nancy have been coming to C4 with their children, 6-year-old
Leo and 15-year-old Melibel, for various services over the years. The rooms
were small and crowded before, Nancy recalls. With the new space came
plenty of toys and games, which help keep the children engaged.
For Jesus, Its like being at a picnicbright colors, comfortable, the kids
Leo and Melibel enjoy playing games with mom, Nancy, and dad,
Jesus, in the new playroom D4D built at C4s expanded facility.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/971b2e52-dc0a-42a1-88e8-b006fb3e1211-150913230021-lva1-app6892/85/AReport_D4D-6-320.jpg)
AReport_D4D
- 2. Designs for Dignity helps create environments that sustain peoples highest self. -Torrie Flink, former CEO and Executive Director of Zacharias Center
- 3. Dear Friends of Designs for Dignity, It is hard to believe that yet another year has come to a close. It seems as though we just hosted our second annual Spirit Awards Breakfast, where we presented service grants to eight deserving nonprofit organizations throughout the Chicago area. As we look ahead now, we see that our work is never-ending. With your support, we create environments that lift the human spirit and nurture individuals in a space that is safe, healing, and dignified so that they can become their best selves. Your generous donations of furnishings, fixtures, and materials are at the core of what we do, and your financial contributions keep our operations running so that we can continue our work. Your servicemore than 3,000 pro bono hours deploying design and installation for 10 to 12 projects each yearis critical. This year our work touched over 70,000 livesthe greatest impact we have ever had in a single year. As we embark on our 15th year as an organization with nearly 150 completed projects under our belts, we stand ready to do more. This year we have grown our staff, expanded our warehousing efforts, and have begun to establish a national presence by launching projects in Atlanta, Boston, and Pittsburgh. Help us grow. Together we can create more, build more. Join us in transforming more spaces and more lives than ever. Thank you for standing for our work, Jennifer Sobecki, Executive Director Susie Fredman, Founder Diane Falanga, Board President D4D is one of the most potent outlets for design professionals to give back to the community. - Anna Barton, 2014 Spirit Award Recipient, project lead
- 4. Creating Access to Healing Spaces Home is where the heart is. Imagine, however, that the heart is broken. Must the home then be broken, too? So many people in communities throughout Chicago suffer daily from a host of afflictions: mental illness and substance abuse, domestic violence, physical disability, and for some, feeling like they dont matter or dont belong. Some who are more fortunate may have support from family and friends, and perhaps personal resources to get the help they need. For those who dont, community-based organizations work to fill the void. Designs for Dignityor D4D, as our friends sometimes sayhelps these nonprofits focus on what they do best. Often the physical environment in which many community-based organizations are housed is not inviting and is sometimes even unsafe: peeling paint, crumbling fixtures, and furniture that is stained and worn. But lean budgets dont allow funding for space improvements. Thats where Designs for Dignity steps in: It brings pro-bono high-end professional design services and pools resources from the design industry and the community-at-large to enhance nonprofits workspaces at a fraction of the actual costs. How can the heart begin to heal when there is no space to nurture it? Designs for Dignity transforms the physical environments where people go to seek support for healing, enabling them to feel dignified, valued, and safe. Clients were so inspired and transformed. -Rosie Burke, Anixter Center
- 5. Those in the design industry need to be a resource to each other to impact others lives, and D4D is good at thatpositive spirit, collaborative, working together to celebrate the outcome. -Rashmi Ramaswamy, design volunteer
- 6. Up Close with C4: From Cluttered Places to Healing Spaces Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4) opened in 1972 as a one-room storefront providing psychiatric services. Today it offers comprehensive services for individuals and families throughout the North Side. C4 received funding in 2012 to expand its facilities, but there was a small gap in the budget. Enter Designs for Dignity, which helped make a real difference starting with the flagship site. D4D had to think creatively about how best to plan the space to be functional yet comfortable for clients. Rooms were cluttered, small, and crammed with bulky furniture. The challenge was to create open spaces with better lighting, within tight confines.油 When We Feel Better, We Do Better Paulina Chirinos, a clinician at C4, says, [In the] old space I was often sitting knee-to-knee with clients. Clients take ownership of the space, she says, and were also excited about the change. Designs for Dignity created a space for the healing to begina space that replaces sadness, anger, and hurt with optimism, hope, and comfort. Kathy Calderone, clinical supervisor, adds that, space was so cramped that clinicians desks were placed in cubby holes and families would crowd together on a single sofa. The new space helps the staff feel more organized and grounded. Like a Picnic Jesus and Nancy have been coming to C4 with their children, 6-year-old Leo and 15-year-old Melibel, for various services over the years. The rooms were small and crowded before, Nancy recalls. With the new space came plenty of toys and games, which help keep the children engaged. For Jesus, Its like being at a picnicbright colors, comfortable, the kids Leo and Melibel enjoy playing games with mom, Nancy, and dad, Jesus, in the new playroom D4D built at C4s expanded facility.
- 7. Community Counseling Centers of Chicago Designs for Dignitys model of repurposing donated materials and employing the talent and skills of design volunteers enabled C4 to complete its expansion into a new, functional, and beautiful space.油 PRO BONO HOURS: 45 DESIGN SERVICES: $5,625 MATERIAL DONATIONS: $90,000 TOTAL PROJECT VALUE: $95,625 BEFORE BEFORE BEFOREAFTER AFTER AFTER
- 8. Helping Hands All Around The design industry is not particularly known for giving back to the community. Of course, thats not because those working within the industry dont want to help others who are in need. Most just dont know where their skills and expertise can make a difference. What do cabinetry-making, interior design, architecture, plumbing, and the like have to do with treating patients living with HIV and AIDS or counseling survivors of sexual and other abuse? Designs for Dignity provides the perfect outlet for industry professionals to donate critical services to Chicagos communities. By volunteering for Designs for Dignity-supported projects, design professionals can use their skills to help transform peoples lives. Designers high-end concepts and products not only help non-profit organizations advance their own mission, but create healing spaces for the people these organizations serve. Jonathan Sondergeld Project Volunteer Barry Howard Project Partner Corporate Sponsor Anna Barton 2014 Spirit Award Recipient Project Lead What D4D does results in new energy for work and a drive to improve.油-Rosie Burke, Anixter Center
- 9. Anixter Center Designs for Dignity renovated three high-impact public spaces for Anixter Center. Anixter Center provides an array of services to help people with disabilities and related challenges live, learn, work, and play in the community. PRO BONO HOURS: 450 DESIGN SERVICES: $45,000 MATERIAL DONATIONS: $37,500 TOTAL PROJECT VALUE: $82,500 BEFORE BEFORE BEFOREAFTER AFTER AFTER
- 10. Donations become part of D4Ds service and can inform the design. On the Upcycle: Repurposing Materials for a Good Cause Some in the design industry cringe at how much waste the profession generates. Unused commercial and residential project materialsthat extra box or two of marble tiles, those light fixtures that the customer decided were too overstated, or the brass-plated kitchen faucet that now clashes with the silver flecks in the granite countertopjust get tossed. Designs for Dignity repurposes items donated by vendors, manufacturers, companies, and individuals in its service grant awards to nonprofit organizations. Why it Works: High Impact at Low-Cost The projects that Designs for Dignity supported in the 2014 fiscal year varied in size and scope, from improving the aesthetics and functionality of a single room to building the entire interior of a new wing on an existing building. These projects are valued at an average of about $121,125, mostly in donated materials and volunteer time. The actual hard dollars spent on each project is only a fraction of the total value, at around just 10 percent. Average donated material furnishings per project: $62,500 Design volunteers: 375 hours of service at $46,875 Average subtotal: $109,375 Hard costs: $11,750 TOTAL PROJECT VALUE: $121,125 -Rashmi Ramaswamy, design volunteer
- 11. Catholic Charities Designs for Dignity renovated the kitchen, dining room, front meeting room, and upstairs lounge at the three-story St. Francis DePaula Family Shelter, which is operated by Catholic Charities. The facility has provided shelter and support to homeless families for 20 years, and is part of Catholic Charities network of missionary services. PRO BONO HOURS: 167 DESIGN SERVICES: $20,875 MATERIAL DONATIONS: $19,885 TOTAL PROJECT VALUE: $40,760 BEFORE BEFORE BEFOREAFTER AFTER AFTER
- 12. EdgeAlliance D4D designed all four floors of Shawn Feeley Alpha House, a home for previously homeless veterans operated by EdgeAlliance. EdgeAlliance enriches the lives of vulnerable individuals and families by providing comprehensive housing services and support. PRO BONO HOURS: 300 DESIGN SERVICES: $37,500 MATERIAL DONATIONS: $80,000 TOTAL PROJECT VALUE: $117,500 BEFORE BEFORE BEFOREAFTER AFTER AFTER
- 13. Chicago House D4D built and designed the entire interior and backyard garden for the TransLife Center, a program of Chicago House and Social Service Agency that serves individuals and families who are disenfranchised by HIV/AIDS, LGBTQ marginalization, poverty, homelessness, and/or gender nonconformity. PRO BONO HOURS: 244 DESIGN SERVICES: $30,500 MATERIAL DONATIONS: $186,320 TOTAL PROJECT VALUE: $216,820 BEFORE BEFORE BEFOREAFTER AFTER AFTER
- 14. Join us in our work to enhance and beautify the physical environments where people in our com- munities go for support. Make a financial contribution to sponsor the work. Donate materials to be used on a service grant project. Volunteer time and both design and non-design skills. Be our guest at our spirit awards breakfast and our many other events. Bring a friend to volunteer on a project or as your guest at our events. The work and impact of D4D is needed more than ever in these times, creating spaces that enable nonprofits to attract and retain talent and provide a sense of security, autonomy, belonging, and achievement. -Kameko Gay, Herman Miller, Inc. Designs for Dignity油|油油222 Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 9-102油|油Chicago, IL油60654 | www.designsfordignity.org油油 Contact Us: Jennifer Sobecki Executive Director T: 800.351.6354 F: 800.351.6354 jsobecki@designsfordignity.org Annie Place Development Coordinator T: 800.351.6385 F: 800.351.6385 annie@designsfordignity.org Claire Tulloch Design Coordinator T: 800.351.6357 F: 800.351.6357 E: claire@designsfordignity.org