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Saws whirring, ladders swinging, shovels shoveling, television crews canvassing - all to renovate and repair our North County shelter! KGTV/10News, the local ABC affiliate in San Diego , selected CCS’s North County Shelter to be the recipient of their “Hometown” makeover! KGTV/10News has a long and demonstrated history of using the power of television to serve the community, with initiatives such as the Children’s 10Mobile, 10Leadership Award, Firestorm Relief 2003, First 5 for Kids, and the 10News Toy Drive . Along with the multitude of community partners, Anchor Carol Le Beau interviewed the generous community donors and former shelter clients while capturing priceless renovation footage for an amazing “Hometown” makeover 30-minute TV show that aired Sunday, November 25 and Sunday, December 2.

“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” has become a hit series, rebuilding homes and changing the lives of deserving families - almost overnight. Working like Santa’s elves on a deadline, the subcontractors spent the month of October laying floors, plastering and painting walls in the kitchen, removing doors and windows and replacing them with beautiful, energy efficient works of art, laying beautiful tile and accent tile in the bathrooms, installing the ADA bathtub, grating the ground in the courtyard, cutting, sawing, shoveling in the duplexes/cabanas and the two-story apartment, and much more.   

       
  Bedroom before remodel             Bedroom after remodel

Friends of CCS, the Hidden Valley House Auxiliary, played a key role in the project, working non-stop as the interior design team for the renovation, selecting products and colors, shopping for the best deal, and helping Channel 10 find even more donors, as well as providing food treats for the workers and preparing intake gift bags for shelter women and children. Shelter staff worked diligently to ensure there were no interruptions of services to clients and pitched in with the project where they could be of help.

The project manager, lead donor, and CCS angel was Charles Gilbert with Handyman on Demand. He worked 24/7 on the renovation to ensure that all of the renovations ran smoothly, while pursuing additional donors for this project as the scope increased. Through all of the bumps and hurdles of the project, Charles assured everyone that “no project is too big to complete for CCS and no detail is too small for CCS”.

As the renovation and the filming came to completion, four courageous women, all domestic violence survivors and past clients of CCS, shared their stories of inspiration and hope. Theses women, along with their children ranging from infants to toddlers to teens, expressed eternal gratitude to CCS.  They spoke earnestly about the transition from living in sadness and survival mode, having their children surrounded by violence, having law enforcement at the house, escaping in the night, and arriving at the shelter. Their stories told of the journey into a place of happiness, children’s smiles, new lives beginning, and self-sufficiency. Thanks to these women for their bravery and to the staff, community partners, donors, contractors, and volunteers who contributed and continue to contribute tirelessly to provide the opportunity for healing and the ongoing prevention of sexual assault and domestic violence in our community.

Special thanks to the following vendor partners who made this project a success! Handyman On Demand, Anderson Plumbing Heating & Air, Arizona Tile, King of the Painters, Alan Magnus Electric, Village Carpets Flooring America, Seabridge Bathing, JC Penny, Italian Plaster Works, Jerome’s, Best Windows & Doors, Ready San Diego, Turf Tech, Sleep Train Mattress Center, Handi Habitats, Jabulani Interiors, Office of Emergency Services.

           
     From left to right: Wendy Urushima-Simmons - CCS,
     Mike Biltucci - 10News, Carol Le Beau – 10News, Charles      Gilbert- Handyman on Demand, Amy Rypins - CCS, Verna
     Griffin-Tabor - CCS, David Jacobs - CCS

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