CONTACT: Carol Anne Lajoie Senior Director of Development & Marketing YWCA of Richmond 6 North Fifth Street Richmond, VA 23219 804.980.7302 [email protected] www.ywcarichmond.org Local Design Boutique Creates Unique Space for Survivors of Violence Ruth & Ollie partners with YWCA of Richmond for counseling room For Immediate Release Richmond, VA—The YWCA of Richmond has been headquartered out of its 6 North 5 th Street location for one hundred years. Since the late 70’s a significant portion of the YW mission has been to serve survivors of domestic and sexual violence. “The YWCA’s mission has evolved to reflect the needs of the community,” explains Linda Tissiere, Chief Executive Officer. “We began as an organization concerned with working conditions for women moving to the city to work in factories that emerged during the Industrial Revolution. At different times in our past, there have been offices, meeting spaces, a restaurant, and even a pool in our downtown building.” Today’s YWCA serves young children with preschool and adult survivors of domestic and sexual violence. “Most of our counseling takes place at the downtown building,” explains Tissiere. “That includes individual and group counseling. As a nonprofit, we do the best we can with furnishings, but a lot of items are donated and gently used.” That included the couches and tables that made up the YW’s main group counseling room. Until now. Kat and Mike Liebschwager own the Carytown-based Ruth & Ollie home décor store. Out of that location, Kat offers her interior design services. “We had a client who became a good friend,” Mike explains. “She recently made a significant gift to the YWCA and created an endowed fund to help survivors of domestic violence with private emergency housing. When we heard what she’d done, we were inspired to contribute as well.” And contribute they did. After a series of discussions with the YWCA counseling staff, Mike and Kat created a custom and innovative design concept for the group counseling room. “It needed to serve multiple functions,” explains Tissiere. “That room is a place for large group therapy, but is also used at times by our counselors and case managers for one-on- one sessions. We gave them the seemingly impossible task of making the room both spacious and intimate. We are thrilled at the result.” “It was a learning experience for us,” says Kat. “We met with the counselors to learn how they used the room, what was important, what they needed and, more importantly, how they wanted the room to feel when they were using it for counseling sessions. The counselors were careful to explain to us the needs and mindset of their clients; no large mirrors or looming clocks in the room, for example. That would be a distraction to the counseling work. We wanted the room to be comforting and calming.” Liebschwager’s design concept included a complete room makeover with custom furniture – all provided by Ruth & Ollie. There was minor demolition before new carpet, drapery, and a fresh paint job paved the way for the furniture. An old sink was replaced with a small desk for YW staff to take notes and complete paperwork. Sofas, chairs, and side tables were all custom ordered and arranged so they can quickly move the room set up to accommodate a large group gathering and then reconfigure to a cozy spot for one-on-one therapeutic counseling.
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CONTACT: Carol Anne Lajoie Senior Director of Development & Marketing
YWCA of Richmond 6 North Fifth Street
Richmond, VA 23219 804.980.7302
[email protected] www.ywcarichmond.org
Local Design Boutique Creates Unique Space for Survivors of Violence Ruth & Ollie partners with YWCA of Richmond for counseling room
For Immediate Release Richmond, VA—The YWCA of Richmond has been headquartered out of its 6 North 5th Street location for one hundred years. Since the late 70’s a significant portion of the YW mission has been to serve survivors of domestic and sexual violence. “The YWCA’s mission has evolved to reflect the needs of the community,” explains Linda Tissiere, Chief Executive Officer. “We began as an organization concerned with working conditions for women moving to the city to work in factories that emerged during the Industrial Revolution. At different times in our past, there have been offices, meeting spaces, a restaurant, and even a pool in our downtown building.” Today’s YWCA serves young children with preschool and adult survivors of domestic and sexual violence. “Most of our counseling takes place at the downtown building,” explains Tissiere. “That includes individual and group counseling. As a nonprofit, we do the best we can with furnishings, but a lot of items are donated and gently used.” That included the couches and tables that made up the YW’s main group counseling room. Until now. Kat and Mike Liebschwager own the Carytown-based Ruth & Ollie home décor store. Out of that location, Kat offers her interior design services. “We had a client who became a good friend,” Mike explains. “She recently made a significant gift to the YWCA and created an endowed fund to help survivors of domestic violence with private emergency housing. When we heard what she’d done, we were inspired to contribute as well.” And contribute they did. After a series of discussions with the YWCA counseling staff, Mike and Kat created a custom and innovative design concept for the group counseling room. “It needed to serve multiple functions,” explains Tissiere. “That room is a place for large group therapy, but is also used at times by our counselors and case managers for one-on-one sessions. We gave them the seemingly impossible task of making the room both spacious and intimate. We are thrilled at the result.” “It was a learning experience for us,” says Kat. “We met with the counselors to learn how they used the room, what was important, what they needed and, more importantly, how they wanted the room to feel when they were using it for counseling sessions. The counselors were careful to explain to us the needs and mindset of their clients; no large mirrors or looming clocks in the room, for example. That would be a distraction to the counseling work. We wanted the room to be comforting and calming.” Liebschwager’s design concept included a complete room makeover with custom furniture – all provided by Ruth & Ollie. There was minor demolition before new carpet, drapery, and a fresh paint job paved the way for the furniture. An old sink was replaced with a small desk for YW staff to take notes and complete paperwork. Sofas, chairs, and side tables were all custom ordered and arranged so they can quickly move the room set up to accommodate a large group gathering and then reconfigure to a cozy spot for one-on-one therapeutic counseling.
“They treated us like any other client,” says Tissiere. “Kat came in with a presentation, paint colors, pictures, upholstery swatches, and carpet samples. We were all blown away by her attention to detail and the gorgeous space she had created. She listened to the counselors and created a very careful space that will set the backdrop for a lot of healing.” Last year, the YWCA of Richmond provided more than 8,000 hours of free counseling and case management services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence. The YW also provides emergency shelter and rapid rehousing services for survivors of intimate partner violence. Last year’s Impact 100 grant award of $100,000 served as the impetus for a partnership with the Better Housing Coalition to provide all housing services in private, non-communal environments. An Impact 100 member facilitated the introduction to Ruth & Ollie and Kat’s in-kind design services. After a week of construction, the room was completed in Mid-April. “We were happy to be involved,” says Kat. “Comfort is ultimately determined individually, but we hope our donation is a small step in helping the great people at the YWCA provide comfort to women in need. My hope is for a survivor to walk in and see that they are somewhere where people care about them and are ready to support them on their journey to recovery. Maybe they will have happy memories of healing and feeling better in that room.”
Since 1887, the YWCA of Richmond has been a leading force in securing an environment of change and empowerment for women and their families. Today, the YWCA provides nationally-accredited early childhood education programming and remains committed to ensuring that victims of domestic and sexual violence experience rescue, recovery, and life-rebuilding programs that foster emotional, social, and economic stability. If you or a loved one has experienced domestic or sexual violence, call our confidential hotline at 804-643-0888, available 24 hours per day. Ruth & Ollie is a unique home furnishings stores located in Carytown at 3108 West Cary St., Richmond, VA 23221. Kat Liebschwager interiors is located within Ruth & Ollie. Several of Kat's projects have been featured in major shelter publications recently in addition to a design plan which will be shown on HGTV. For more information visit www.ruthandollie.com www.katinteriors.com or call 804.288.3360.
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