Designs for Dignity

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Designs for Dignity: How to help

You can help create environments of dignity, hope, and comfort for Chicago nonprofits by volunteering your time as a professional designer. Donate excess materials, money, or skilled services by contacting Designs for Dignity today.

Giving in-kind donations to Designs for Dignity

Industry partners and clients of interior designers are often interested in donating excess materials and furniture to the Designs for Dignity program. If you are interested in donating materials to Designs for Dignity, please download the in-kind donation form.

Materials needed for the program include:

  • excess ceramic tile
  • granite or marble flooring
  • carpet tiles
  • unopened gallons of paint

Furniture items include:

  • smaller scale sofas and chairs
  • cocktail tables
  • end tables
  • office chairs & file cabinets, cubicle partitions, smaller desks and occasional chairs, conference tables and the like.

From time to time, the program does facilitate in the re-design of residential/dorm-like settings and is called upon to secure twin size mattresses and beds, along with smaller chests of drawers.

To set up an in-kind donation for a project, please contac Michael Talbot, Associate Director, at mtalbot@heartlandalliance.org or (312) 660-1349.

Become a Designs for Dignity volunteer

Designs for Dignity is always looking for interior designers, architects, and skilled laborers such as painters, electricians, and others to help with the pro bono design of nonprofits in the Chicago area. To become a Designs for Dignity volunteer, please download the volunteer application and return it via email to Designs for Dignity Director Jen Sobecki.. We look forward to working on a project with you soon!

Project Partnerships include:

  • The Antonia (Heartland Alliance)- Residential program for mentally ill adults
  • Archeworks- Nonprofit design school focusing on community issues
  • Between Friends- Counseling center for abused women and children
  • Big Brothers/Big Sisters- Mentoring and youth programs
  • The Boys and Girls Club of Benton Harbor- serves more than 100 youth via after school programming
  • Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center- Provides intake, investigation, and follow-up services for child sexual abuse victims ages 3-17 in Chicago; designed to make children feel comfortable and safe.
  • Chicago Youth Programs (several sites)- Tutoring for Chicago youth
  • Counseling Center of Lakeview- Mental health services for low- income children and adolescents
  • Department of Human Services – Chicago outlet for social services
  • Donors Forum- Philanthropic resource for non-profits
  • Gads Hill Day Care- Working class and low income day care at Sinai Hospital
  • Gilda’s Club Chicago- counseling services for men, women, and children with cancer
  • IFF, Illinois Facility Fund- lenders to nonprofit facilities and organizations
  • LaCasa- Lake County Council Against Sexual Assault- Counseling for women and children who have been sexually assaulted
  • Lakeview Pantry- Food pantry
  • Leland Apartments SRO (Heartland Alliance) -Low- income single-room occupancy
  • Los Vecinos SRO (Heartland Alliance)- Low- income single-room occupancy
  • Multicultural Services (Heartland Alliance)- Multicultural and multilingual mental health services/cross cultural interpreting services/translation services
  • Neon Intensive Stabilization Center- residential facility that serves homeless teenage women
  • NEWH-organization that supports students going into the hospitality design field
  • The Night Ministry- Teen shelter specializing in helping pregnant teens and young parents
  • SWWT- Southwest Women Working Together- Domestic violence counseling
  • St. Vincent de Paul Family Thrift Store
  • Sutherland Ballroom (Heartland Alliance)- Community cultural center and special culinary arts training program for homeless and low- income individuals
  • Teen Living Program- Teen shelter, and scattered site transitional housing
  • The Learning Center of Heartland Human Care Services- day care center for children who are victims of violence and abuse.
  • The Women’s Treatment Center- Treatment facility for women and children for substance abuse.
  • WINGS- Women In Need Growing Stronger- Domestic violence shelter for women and children.

For questions about volunteering for a project, please contact Michael Talbot, Associate Director at mtalbot@heartlandalliance.org or (312) 660-1349.

Make a contribution

To donate money to Designs for Dignity, please contact Jen Sobecki, Designs for Dignity director, at (312) 660-1346 or jsobecki@heartlandalliance.org.