OUR MISSION
is to help families escape poverty and homelessness through design; one household at a time.
OUR GOAL
is to transform lives through design, inspiring families to maintain a standard of living in which they can thrive.
We partner with local social services agencies that have programs in place to take families from homelessness & poverty to self-sufficiency. They nominate families that have made a commitment to self-sufficiency and changing their life. Often times, after a family has received all of the counseling, training, and support from our partner agencies, they find themselves struggling to provide a home in which they can thrive. Dwell with Dignity addresses this critical economic need through our mission.
Dwell with Dignity provides complete home interiors that include furniture, art, bedding, linens, kitchen supplies, food in the pantry and their first night’s meal. Families come home to what is now their new standard of living.
Dwell with Dignity designs and installs complete home interiors for families who desperately need an environment that will support health and wellness. We empower families to lead their best lives and to thrive in a safe, functional, and beautiful environment.
Our families become stable and create home lives they are proud of. Toxic stress levels are reduced significantly. Academics improve. Play dates are made. Plans are made for birthday parties, holiday gatherings, and family dinners. These designs will have a powerful generational impact.
“If we can change a person’s surroundings, we can change their outlook on life.”
OUR STORY
Lisa Robison is an interior designer who had spent the decade prior to founding Dwell with Dignity raising her children and immersing herself in all things design. She began looking for her next venture and immediately realized that she wanted to give back to her community while pursuing her passion for design. This ultimately culminated in the concept of Dwell with Dignity. Her strong belief that good design improves one’s quality of life resulted in the incorporation of Dwell with Dignity in spring of 2009.
Kim Turner, also an interior designer, met Lisa at El Centro College in May of 1995 when they started design school together. Kim has been a practicing designer ever since, creating and maintaining relationships with many clients and friends within the Dallas design community. When she first heard of Lisa’s idea, almost 14 years to the day of their first encounter, she knew this was something – and someone – with whom she wanted to be involved. She shares Lisa’s belief that lives can truly be inspired by design and that dwelling with dignity is something that can be possible for all.
As word got out about what Lisa and Kim were doing, it became obvious that others wanted to help. The community was interested in getting their hands dirty and helping families in need. Volunteers started coming to the Dwell with Dignity office to refurbish furniture, recover chair cushions and make artwork for the projects. Helpers flocked in on move-in days to lay shelf paper and stock the kitchen; iron sheets and shower curtains; hang art and draperies; make beds and fluff pillows. It was a team effort that resulted in a beautiful, nurturing home for a family that had been through so much. And that is still the process, resulting in the ultimate reward: the elation that each family experiences walking into their beautiful new home.