RETURN TO HELPING OTHERS PAGE

The Pursuit of Hope
Giving hope to homeless and abused women in a shelter

By Terry Grahl

Terry Grahl believes in divine intervention.

In the past six months, she's worked with close to 100 angels.
Earlier this year, the 39 year old interior decorator and owner of Terry's Enchanted Cottage in Taylor, Mi. was asked by a friend to help women battling homelessness and abuse.

Grahl made a visit to their shelter in Pontiac and left inspired.
"I walked into a bedroom, which the women share," she said. "It was as if the room was screaming out, 'Save me!' I knew I had found my calling, a passion and purpose. “The used nursing-home bedspreads could not comfort them on days when they just didn't want to go on. Stained towels, sheets, mattresses and pillows reminded me of how their souls must feel. "David Lafrates, the owner of International Bancard Corp., heard about my work as an interior decorator and contacted me about the shelter."

Admittedly, Grahl is not "an ordinary interior designer." She said she decorates dreams. Through Terry's Enchanted Cottage, which she started in November 2005, she helps people design their homes in the style of bygone eras.
She credits her creative inspiration to her mother, Lesley Skog, and her brother, Todd Skog.

"I believe cozy surroundings not only inspire, but help us thrive," Grahl said. "When I left (the shelter) that cold, wintry day, I was determined and inspired to help 50 battered women who live at the shelter with their children."
Grahl said most residents are in a yearlong program, recovering from drug dependency and abuse. With the help of her sister and assistant, Tracy Garrett, the two volunteered to perform a massive makeover. They dubbed the project "Hopeful Haven."

Grahl, who said before this project she used to be shy, contacted professional painters, artists and area businesses, and raised close to $200,000 in donations, furniture and equipment to revamp the dilapidated living quarters.

"I sent out e-mails and letters and made phone calls to people I thought would help," she said. Grahl admits she heard the word "no" more than once, but that didn't deter her. In March, several businesses sponsored a fund-raiser, donating 100 percent of the proceeds to the project.

One time while visiting the shelter, one of the residents referred to Grahl as an "angel," but the modest mother of four said the real angels are the contributors who helped make the makeover a success. On June 18, the women's bedroom at Grace Centers of Hope received a garden-style transformation.Grahl believes gardening satisfies cravings for fresh air and sunshine.

"Gardening soothes our souls and replenishes our spirits," she said. "When we garden, we learn to appreciate the rhythms of the seasons and the patience to wait for spring flowers to bloom, for summer vegetables to ripen on their vines."

A long list of the "angels" who made a difference is posted on her Web site, www.terrysenchantedcottage.com. "I call them angels because I believe God sent them," she said. "Ninety angels from all over the world, including Australia, donated to this makeover. A very, very large furniture store in Michigan that wants to remain anonymous donated all the bunk beds, baby cribs and carpet."
A professional painting company donated its services to paint the women's bedroom and stairway, she said, and Masco Corp. donated all the paint.

Grahl said she was determined to create a bedroom that would enable the women to awaken to a room that would remind them every day: "I am precious. I am worthy. I am not a victim. I have the power to stop the torch of abuse and addictions from being passed on to my children."

She crafted a homemade sign for above the women's front bedroom door. It reads: "Hopeful Haven." "This sign represents a brand new chapter in the women's lives and the spirit of the room," Grahl said. But beyond the new color, carpet, bedspreads, new beds and the new lighting, Grahl believes the most touching thing found in the room are photographs of the women who currently live at the shelter. "They were placed on the wall so that all the future women who find their way to safety will know there is hope," she said.

The artist admits she even learned a little bit about herself in the transformation.
"I believe in myself more," Grahl said. "I didn't realize how much strength I have. I have always been shy, but even a raindrop can make a ripple effect. "I want everyone to know that all it takes is one person to say, 'I want to make a difference.”

RETURN TO HELPING OTHERS PAGE