Lucy's Place residents take on furniture restoration project
A restored table and chairs will leave a lasting legacy at Lucy's Place in Barrie.
It was just a few months ago when the table was going to go to the dump, but thanks to residents at Lucy's Place, the table and chairs are once again in perfect condition.
"The Furniture Bank has an upcycling and recycling program already. We thought it would be a great idea to have people from Lucy's Place come and help out," says Redwood Park Communities Housing Co-ordinator Angelique Noorlander.
Ten vulnerable members from the transitional housing facility worked on the project at the furniture bank over the past few months.
Noorlander says the project gave them a sense of purpose and belonging.
"They felt part of a community. Giving back was a really important thing for a lot of them. Just giving back, able to do something useful," says Noorlander.
The table and chairs will be placed in the common space at Lucy's Place and used for meals, playing games and building a sense of community.
"There's a difference between housing and a home. A lot of folks who are living in Lucy's Place have never experienced what a home is really like. Some of the folks who live there were sleeping in tents for 20 years," says Furniture Bank Managing Director Anna Keenan.
Some residents already had carpentry experience, while others learned new skills they could use in the future.
"To have a table and a couch and community spaces, they're creating for themselves," says Keenan.
The restored table will serve to remind them of their hard work, and some are eager to continue restoring other pieces.
"Whoever worked on the project, they're going to write their names on the bottom and the year, so it is going to be a special piece," says Noorlander.
The table and chairs will be delivered to Lucy's Place in the next two weeks. Meanwhile, residents have begun working on their next project, restoring side tables.
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