“Home is where our dreams begin”

A home is more than just a place to lay your head at night. It holds our memories, inspirations, dreams. So when Lisa Robison realized too many families had no way of starting over, she designed an idea that would help brighten their lives!

At the lecture she was attending, Lisa Robison listened to the Habitat for Humanity representative speaking, her eyes wide in amazement.

The organization did such wonderful work building houses for families in need. And having a roof over your head was the most important thing, of course. But . . . what about inside the house? Lisa found herself wondering.

Ever since she was little, the Dallas mom had loved rearranging her bedroom furniture to create new looks. “You have such a flair for this!” friends would say when she helped them decorate their first homes. So Lisa had gone back to school for design.

A home was more than just the walls around you. A beautiful space has the power to transform. The way a warm living room invited you to relax. How a cozy bedroom encouraged sweet dreams . . .

Suddenly, it was as if a lamp switched on for Lisa: That’s it. I want to help families in need create the homes of their dreams!

Sharing a blessing

With Lisa’s birthday approaching, her husband, Doug, asked what she’d like as a present.

“Help starting an organization!” she blurted.

Recruiting friends from the design world, they began asking furnishing stores, paint shops and other retailers to give what they could. And Dwell with Dignity (Dwellwithdignity.org), a nonprofit to provide free home makeovers to single moms emerging from poverty and homelessness, was born.

After asking for referrals from agencies assisting women in rebuilding their lives, Lisa learned of a single mom who had recently escaped domestic abuse. She and her young daughter were safe in their new apartment. But they didn’t have much else. That weekend, Lisa pored over the donations they’d collected, finding just the right curtains and throw pillows. As she refurbished used furniture in their driveway, her daughter, Zoe, and son, Zac, pitched in with sandpaper and paintbrushes. And after decorating the whole apartment with everything from furniture to carpets to even stocking the cabinets with new dishes, she flung the door open wide.

Seeing the metamorphosis, the mom’s hand flew to her heart. She and her daughter had endured so much turmoil.

“But this . . . this fills me with calm. I can finally breathe!” she whispered, tears flowing.

The gift of home sweet home

AsDwell with Dignity began furnishing more homes, Lisa, along with her friend Kim, would first sit down with each family to ask their favorite colors and work on a floor plan, asking questions like, “Where’s your happy place? What makes you smile most?” Then she and her volunteers would get to work.

One single mother who had suffered years of severe abuse and homelessness was finally back on her feet, supporting her five children as a hairstylist. Still, they slept on bare mattresses on the floor— until Lisa stepped in, dressing the girls’ twin beds with fluffy lavender and aqua mermaid comforters and the boys’ room with a rug of orange orbs like basketballs.

“I can’t wait to go to sleep tonight!” one laughed.

“I can’t wait to have my friends over!” his sister sang as their mom just shook her head, admiring her own gorgeous new room with its crisp ivory and blue linens.

After a health battle had left her not only unable to work but also evicted, another mom and her three sons had spent years living in a shelter—and now were completely starting over. Dwell with Dignity came in, giving them places to do homework and a table to gather around for family dinners.

“Because of you, I found the confidence to work at the school board. And my oldest son is now off to college to study nursing!” the mom proudly reported back later.

For a young mom who was both working part-time and studying fashion design, Lisa hung blossoming faux flowers and a princess crown over her one-year-old daughter’s pink crib. “You gave me a beautiful home. And you’ve given me hope!” the mom beamed.

Today, Dwell with Dignity has completed 100 home makeovers across Dallas and Atlanta.

I’ll never forget what you did for me, furnishing my apartment for my daughters and me after we left the shelter, Hannah wrote.

You made our house a home. I will always be thankful! penned Shajuana, just one of many moms who weep with gratitude at finally being able to give their kids a home they can be proud of.

“Whenever it feels too hard, those hugs, tears and thanks make us realize it’s worth it,” Lisa beams. “We all deserve kindness and a place to feel safe and loved, and home is where our dreams begin. We have the blessing of turning homes into places where families can believe their dreams can come true!”

When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” MAYA ANGELOU