A job well done. PC Singles Club volunteers (left to right) Rita Erne, Kathy Weldon and Jane Bacon accept warm thanks from Community Development Director Devin DeFendis after completing the renovation of a casita at the New Life Center.
Pat Milich
The New Life Center is one of the largest shelters in the country, serving men, women and children fleeing domestic violence. The Singles Club, one of the fastest growing organizations in PebbleCreek, has partnered with this worthy organization in a unique way to make a positive difference in the lives of families desperately in need of a safe haven.
Devin DeFendis, New Life Center’s Director of Community Development, recently expressed her elation over the herculean efforts of Singles Club volunteers Jane Bacon, Rita Erne and Kathy Weldon after seeing the amazing job they did redecorating one of the center’s 24 casitas used to house abuse survivors.
“The room looks amazing,” DeFendis exclaimed. “We already have a family coming in and I know they will find great comfort in all of the amenities that members of the PebbleCreek Singles Club have provided,” she added.
The Singles Club has a long 22-year history of giving back to the community. Each fall, members cast their ballots to determine the charity they will support the coming year. For 2019, the New Life Center garnered the most votes. Member Jane Bacon, an ardent New Life supporter, immediately stepped forward and suggested that the club take on the casita project in addition to its traditional fundraising efforts.
According to Jane, a family can live in one of the casitas for up to four months before being transitioned to off-campus housing. When vacated, each casita needs replenishing, as victims arrive at New Life with only the clothes on their backs and are allowed to take what they need from the casita to help start new lives.
Volunteering to head the project, Jane shared a long shopping list at one of the year’s first regular monthly Singles Club meetings and donations of furniture items, rugs and linens began to show up in Jane’s garage. When all of the needs were met, it was time to schedule a day on the New Life Campus to redecorate.
On Friday, June 14, Jane, Rita and Kathy loaded their cars and set out to complete the final phase of the project. The trio spent the morning redecorating with the donated furniture items, which included a dresser, night stand, wooden bookcase, lamps and a rocking chair. They made the casita’s bunk beds with brand new sheets, comforters and pillows, placed a comfy plush rug on the floor and provided new towels, bathmats, a shower curtain and cleaning supplies in the bathroom. They placed new under-the-bed storage bins and hung decorative signs on the walls.
Director DeFendis could not say enough about the ladies’ efforts. “All of the members and especially these ladies have made such a positive contribution. We are all very grateful,” she said.
The PC Singles is a social (not a dating) club, which meets on the first Sunday of the month at the Tuscany Ballroom beginning at 2:15 p.m. for new member registration, followed by a general meeting at 3:00 p.m. A social gathering follows at the Long Drive Lounge prior to moving on to dinner at a nearby restaurant. For more information, contact Membership Director Carolyn Bates at 602-309-0224 or visit www.pcsingles.org.