Written by Alex Dalbey-Thomas, Communications Specialist, Emma Norton
“I am so grateful to the people that were able to furnish our apartments. It gave me more space to focus on myself and all the other moving parts.”
– Cecilia, an Emma Norton client who moved into Restoring Waters on April 8.
In last week’s newsletter, you heard from Val Walker about the history of Emma Norton Services, and how the new building, Restoring Waters, will expand access and care for people in recovery from homelessness. Residents have now begun moving into Restoring Waters, which means the impact of the support for the Capital Campaign is finally being witnessed.
It doesn’t matter how organized you are, or how beautiful your destination is—moving is always a stressful endeavor. This is especially true for people who have experienced housing instability in the past, as the process of packing and moving their things may be associated with traumatic memories. With that in mind, the staff at Emma Norton have been doing everything in their power to make the stress as light as possible for the folks moving from Emma Norton Residence to Restoring Waters.
One of the biggest ways staff, donors, and volunteers have supported the resident moving process is in paying for and assembling home essential kits for each unit at Restoring Waters. One of the most stressful parts of a move is having all your essential home goods packed away into who-knows-which boxes, and these home essential kits make it so every resident has immediate access to the things they’ll need as they unpack, decorate, and start to live in their new homes.
The week of April 1, approximately 50 volunteers from nearby housing, schools, and churches came to Restoring Waters to put the kits together. Each group of volunteers was given a checklist, separated by room, to assemble the kits.
Each kit costs about $500 in total, and has everything a person needs to start living in a new home. To give an idea of how big of an impact they have, here is the list of items for just the kitchen: toaster, can opener, trash can, recycling bin, oven mitt, cookie sheet, dish drying rack, sets of pots and pans, mixing bowls, kitchen knives, silverware, cooking utensils, bowls plates and mugs, drinking glasses, kitchen towels, measuring cups and spoons, cutting boards, pot holders, and two ice trays.
During the move of the first resident into Restoring Waters, she expressed so much joy and gratitude, and even said “it’s too much,” while crying. Staff assured her that it’s not too much—it’s the beautiful home she, and all the other residents, deserve.