A Duplex Remodeling Project For Charity

The Impact House was built to provide a safe and nurturing space for young adults transitioning from the foster care system into independence. Abe Degnan designed, managed, and arranged for the dozens of volunteers and donors to come together to remodel this home at minimal out-of-pocket cost. What started as a dilapidated, smelly 2+2 bedroom 1970s duplex has been transformed into a comfortable, midcentury-inspired 5+4 bedroom home! While remodeling this duplex into an inviting home is the work we were involved in, it’s important to share what the Impact House program is all about.

This Duplex Remodeling Project Won The NARI Madison President's Award

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This Remodeled Duplex Solves Problems

One side of the duplex is for the adult mentors, program director Mandy, and her husband Dustin. The other side has five bedrooms for five young women. These residents will sign a six-month lease, pay a nominal amount of rent, live by house rules, and follow the program. Upon graduation from the program, half of their rent will be returned to them! Their lease can be renewed for up to two years total, helping to ensure that those who need the most help receive it and those who are ready to leave, freeing up a spot for someone else. The residents will have a one-on-one mentor, attend church services, and volunteer at Focus Church, as well as take care of the interior of their home.

How This Duplex Was Remodeled

Volunteers and donors transformed what began as 2-bedroom duplexes with unfinished basements! Egress windows allowed three more bedrooms on one side and two on the other. Each side went from 1 bathroom to 2 bathrooms, and the mentors now have a main-level laundry in what used to be a portion of the garage. Kitchens and bathrooms were gutted upstairs, and all new flooring, painting, lighting, and other finishes were installed. Again, a vital aspect of the program is to be attractive and serene, a place of respite from a tumultuous life, and comfortable to ensure the residents want to be a part of things! A proper home can help to normalize and stabilize life. See what this duplex looked like before the remodel. View The Before Pictures.

As Focus Church developed the plan for Impact House, they realized that the two existing bedrooms for residents were insufficient. Since one side of the duplex is for the program director and her family, it was imperative to finish the basement. Donations for the digging & cutting of the egress windows were secured, and we were on the way! Extensive plumbing, framing, electrical service, and more were completed for the finished basement. The side for the program director’s family now has four bedrooms, plus a downstairs family room in the finished basement. On the other side, a 5th bedroom replaces the family room, allowing another resident to participate in the program! Learn who volunteered and contributed to this duplex remodeling project.

Carefully selected decor adorns the five resident bedrooms, each uniquely designed with individual color schemes for bedding, linens, and kitchen utensils. This deliberate curation fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility among the residents, as these personalized items are intended to accompany them when they eventually move out.

This was a personal passion and reward for Abe, the Degnan team, the volunteers and donors, and the members of Focus Church who will be a part of the project. It was only in 2021 when God Himself inspired Pastor Ryan Foldhazi to bring this vision to Focus Church, and now it is being implemented. We look forward to changing lives for years and expanding the Impact House program to include young men and more as we continue to “Love God, Love People, and Do Something” at Focus Church.