Community Foundation staff have long participated in United Way’s Day of Caring – from taking children apple-picking to painting and landscaping, it’s an annual event that we’re proud to take part in.  This year, as a twist, we’ve decided to create our own project to help a deserving agency.  We’ll perform an “extreme make-over” on a much-needed room for moms and babies at the Key, an in-patient facility where moms can live with their children as they recover from drug or alcohol addiction.

The room we’ll be making over will be a Mother and Child Room where one or two moms can spend quality time bonding with their very young children, from birth to age five.  Many times, these women have had no role models to demonstrate ways of nurturing their children, so the staff at the Key, a facility operated by Lorain County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services (LCADA), is working to change that.  With a theme of The Giving Tree, we’ll work to turn a storage room and old hairdressing station into a warm, cozy space filled with comfortable furniture and stimulating books and toys.

We have a very resourceful staff at the Foundation, but there is some construction involved in this project that is a bit beyond our skills.  Luckily, the Remodelers’ Council of the NorthCoast BIA is teaming up with us to perform those tasks.  We’ll be shopping, painting, installing shelves and making the cosmetic changes to the room while they tackle the heavy stuff.

Want to get involved?  We could use your help.  The room requires a lot of work and items, so we’ve created a registry at BabiesRus and hope that generous individuals like you will help by purchasing needed items.  Simply look at the Wish List to the right, and it will direct you to our registry, or you can call Beth or Keri at the Foundation 440.277.0142 or 440.323.4445.  We will recognize everyone who helps us with this project.  Thanks, in advance, for your generosity – we’ll keep you posted on our progress.