A group of Long Island-based interior designers have formed DesignGivers, a new nonprofit organization coordinating design industry professionals to give back and support communities during the coronavirus pandemic.
Design Givers offers virtual interior design consultations while collecting donations to support the most pressing needs facing local communities. Its focus is providing aid to families struggling with food shortages due to COVID-19 by supporting Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger relief organization with a network of 200 food banks nationwide, including Island Harvest.
“While walking my dog, I visualized the people in the houses I passed who now had to work or study from home and how their homes needed to function differently than they did prior to the coronavirus outbreak,” said Annette Jaffe, founder of DesignGivers and principal designer at Annette Jaffe Interiors. “This inspired me to give a design consult for a donation to a charity helping those facing hunger. And then I thought, what if every interior designer did the same?”
Jaffe reached out to a friend she had done volunteer work with in the past, Kim Poulos Lieberz, CEO of Farmingdale-based KGI Design Group, who joined the cause. Leading interior design philanthropist Keith Baltimore of The Baltimore Design Group also joined as a key team member.
They got to work immediately developing the organization and calling on friends, family, professional associations, and their communities. Instantly the humanitarian idea was embraced, designers and sponsors were signing on, and within a few days, DesignGivers became a reality.
DesignGivers is now able to help those at home improve the aesthetics and functionality of their environment while simultaneously helping the millions of Americans who are facing hunger as a result of the pandemic.
Interior designers and other professionals in the industry are donating their time, expertise and even their own funds to support DesignGivers current effort of domestic hunger relief. Through the DesignGivers website, a consultation is set with a designer whom the donor selects. After making a minimum donation of $150, a 30-minute video consult is scheduled.
The proceeds are donated to Feeding America. Home interior design services available to donors include creating work spaces, designing school study areas, accommodating additional guests and visitors, pantry and closet organization, furniture rearranging, paint color suggestions, recommending online purchases within a budget, and answering specific design challenges.
For more information visit designgivers.org or email social@designgivers.org
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