ZUO partners with SouthPark Interiors andand Beds for Kids on Foster Care Village Program

It’s not every day you hear about a community coming together to benefit deserving Foster Care kids who are aging out of the system. With laws in North Carolina changing so that young adults ages 18-21 are now able to stay in Foster Care longer, Elon Homes partnered with design firm SouthPark Interiors and local charity Beds for Kids, for a unique project. This project located on the campus of Johnson C. Smith University Charlotte, North Carolina created a new Foster Care Village Program to house 30 young men.

Elon Homes and Schools for Children is non-profit organization that recruits, trains and provides compassionatecare and services for foster care children ages 0-21 throughout several North Carolina counties. In developing a Foster Care Village Program, Elon Homes created a unique dorm style home in partnership with North Carolina Charity- Beds for Kids, www.bedsforkids.org, who worked to provide labor and installation for the project.

SouthPark Interiors’ Jenny Neal, - shared how the project first started. “Beds for Kids reached out to us to see if we could help Elon Homes find bedroom furniture for a foster care project they were in the process of building. Once we looked at the space, we were able to help Elon not just furnish the bedrooms, but also create a computer/ study lounge plus a community room so the young adults would have a beautiful space to study and hang out together. In the end, our goal was to give these young men a home where they are proud to sleep, study and play.”

SouthPark Interiors; known for its commercial / hospitality projects and years of experience designing student housing was a natural fit to consult on the project. Coming on board to consult and design the space, plus sharing its many resources in the design community; SouthPark Interiors helped to implement a functioning Foster Care Village. They also solicited support from Helping Hands Ministry of Carmel Baptist Church for assistance with laying the new flooring. Experienced volunteers devoted time and hands on labor to install 7300 sq ft.square feet of new flooring. With additional resources, local volunteers, manufacturers donations, and services provided by local business Elon Homes was able complete and launch the Foster Care Village Program to benefit deserving young adults before the 2017 Fall school year.

ZUO Marketing Coordinator Serena Martin commented “when we were first approached by SouthPark Interiors to help with furniture donations we were moved with compassion to help this worthy cause. Supporting families and the foster care students is one of our many charitable causes. The work that Elon Homes & SouthPark Interiors put into this project with it’s generous donors have created a truly beautiful home. We are honored to be a part of this project and to help in highlight the organizations Foster Care Village Program.”

List of generous donors and partners include: SouthPark Interiors, Beds for Kids, F3, FOB Charlotte, Inc., Carolina Pool Tables Plus, Currey & Co., District 5 Interiors, Mannington Commercial, Moe’s Furniture, Pick-It Furniture Company, Rowe Furniture, Stark Carpet and Zuo Modern.

Join Elon Homes & see the Foster Care Village Program during upcoming Fall Festival Tuesday, October 3, 2017 from 5 - 7:00 p.m. During the Fall Festival you will tour the Foster Care Village, and learn more about Elon Homes programs including foster care, mentoring and internships. Fall Festival location: 617 North Summit Avenue on the campus of Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte, NC 28206

For more info on Elon Homes visit www.elonhomes.org

Or reach out to Jane S. Grosse jane.grosse@elonhomes.org or Rose Cooper Rose.cooper@elonhomes.org

For more info on SouthPark Interiors visit www.southparkinteriors.com

1113 Greenwood Cliff Road Charlotte, NC 28204 704. 333.3566 office