Members of Team Make A Difference gathered Sept. 9 to show support for Will County Habitat for Humanity’s second annual Homes for Hounds. The event was held at ReStore, the Habitat’s hub for discount building materials, in Joliet.
“We worked with this Habitat before,” said Adrianne Toke, vice president of Team Make A Difference. “With one of our makeovers, we repurposed a lot of furniture from [Restore Joliet manager Heidi Serena], and teamed up with them.
“So, we did Homes for Hounds last year, and we had so much fun, we decided to come out and do it again.”
The doghouse Toke and her team were constructing included faux hardwood floors, copper walls and a shoe trim.
“It’s going to be kind of shabby-chic, very cute,” Toke said. “It’s going to have little spots on the wall on the outside and … a little white shag rug.”
The Will County Habitat for Humanity event offered a simulated experience for all participants to try their hand at building a new home from start to finish for the dogs.
In its inaugural run last year, Homes for Hounds brought in 14 volunteer teams; this time around, 24 teams packed ReStore. Each team was provided with wood and tools. Participants were expected to do most of the construction on-site, though some work was allowed ahead of time.
And according to Serena, the idea behind holding Homes for Hounds is simple.
“I came up with the idea of a [Homes for] Hounds event to build doghouses because it was something we could do in one day, and it’s simulated like building a Habitat home,” Serena said. “I can get teams in the community to go side-by-side with other members, and they can kind of have a feel of what it’s like to build a Habitat home.”
The doghouses created during Homes for Hounds will remain in the ReStore for two weeks.
“What [participants] do is they donate them to us,” Serena said. “People can bid on them in the store or they can do it on Facebook."
In light of Homes for Hounds’ message, part of the proceeds from the event were donated to PAWS of Tinley Park, and during the event, Habitat brought three of PAWS’ dogs for people to meet.
“[It’s] exposure for the shelter — you know, where we are, what we do, who we are,” PAWS volunteer Nancy Huemmer said.