Over the weekend, volunteers from St. Paul’s Rock Creek convened at Partner Arms 2(PA2) for the Adopt-an-Apartment Program. They had their donated home furnishings in tow, and no one would have been able to tell that they had showed up for a long day of work.

Few people enjoy moving; it is stressful, heavy and can be physically and emotionally exhausting.

But on Saturday, volunteers from St. Paul’s Rock Creek were enthusiastic and motivated to get the job done! They knew that their efforts would help a homeless family leave the shelter system, that it would give them a home for the next two years, and the furnishings would be theirs for years to come.

The Adopt-an-Apartment Program has existed for the past 22 years, providing household items to homeless families entering Transitional 

Housing. When an apartment becomes available at PA2, a church or community group “adopts” it, so that the incoming homeless family can make a smooth, stress-free transition out of the shelter.

The weather was warm and the furniture heavy , but no one was complaining. Some of the volunteers had participated in the program in the past while others were there for the very first time. Assembly lines were formed, powered by teamwork and motivation. After several hours of work, Martha Stewart herself might have blushed at the quality of the interior decorating! One thing is for sure: it was a rewarding Saturday for everyone involved; the efforts and small sacrifice of the volunteers created an indelible memory for a family that needed it most.

Interested in furnishing a home for a family coming out of shelter? Contact Quinn Miller at qmiller@thcdc.org to learn more.