Designing for Veterans is nonprofit community service organization borne out of a passion to offer thanks and provide relief to our severely disabled veterans returning home from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars for their courage, honor and sacrifice in keeping America safe and free.
Conceived and initiated by an interior design student at The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago, Designing for Veterans was inspired by her volunteer service with another nonprofit group that provided ground up ADA constructed homes at no cost to severely disabled veterans returning home from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Discovering they only built the home and did not provide any interior design service she set out to ensure that these veterans would have a fully functional and aesthetic interior to call their home. As a member of the student chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers she rallied her friends to participate in this volunteer activity. And today, together as a team, they design and fundraise what is needed to make the veteran home complete at no cost to the veteran.
Mission Possible
Mission Possible is the project code name for this year's beneficiary of the Designing for Veterans service grant to Army SGT Cameron Crouch. His story is not unlike other returning vets. While on duty in Iraq, Cameron plunged seventy feet to a marble floor shattering his legs and spine. After a series of more than twenty surgeries he lost both legs below the knee and received two synthetic spines. The project is being executed by the founding members of Designing for Veterans and the student chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers at The Illinois Instiutute of Art-Chicago to resolve design issues related to Cameron's disabilities.
Project Mission Possible consists of designing, furnishing and executing the interior designs of Cameron's home. The first phase will resolve the problem areas needing the most attention; the master bedroom and bath. A custom bedroom suite has been designed that addresses the issues due to his disability while the the bathroom design accommodates storage for medical supplies with easier access to the sink. Once these areas have been manufactured and installed the guest room, needed for visting caretakers, and the living-dining areas will also be planned and designed.
Join the Mission Possible Team. Experience the joy of creating a quality environment that provides greater mobility and freedom in Cameron's everyday living; the help and support he so richly deserves.
There are many ways you can make this Mission Possible. (click here).
Latest News - Mission Accomplished
The design and renovations for Sgt Crouch's master bedroom and bath were completed at the end of March
"For the first time since my injury I got a full night's sleep without pain. And I can now turn a full three-hundred and sixty degrees next to my bed." Army Sgt Cameron Crouch
This was the mission of the interior design students of the ASID Student Chapter at the Illinois Institute of Art- Chicago. For a year the Mission Possible Team, code name for Sgt Crouch’s project, have been applying the full design process for their “client” from programming through schematic design, design development, construction documentation, procurement and installation in addition to their regular class work and part time jobs.
At the end of March they completed the installation of Cameron’s master bedroom and bath. These new designs provide Cameron with greater freedom and mobility along with plenty of storage for his medical supplies. Nearly a hundred industry partners from all levels joined the Mission Possible Team supplying the furnishings and materials to execute the planning. Hafele of Americas supplied the inside drawer boxes, LED Lighting and architectural hardware, Kravet donated fabric, Benjamin Moore the paints, Ragsdale Inc. the painting and demolition, Shaw Flooring/Luna the area rug, Delta the faucets, Corian the countertop material, Keith Clayton Furniture Inc the custom fabrication of the cabinetry and furniture and Sleep Number/Select Comfort the mattress to name but a only a hand full. Haworth and Bernhardt Design supported the mission with a silent auction to help raise funds. Kevin Sheridan of Sheridan Contract rallied dealers across the Midwest to join the team with generous financial donations.
The work however, does not end here. In the course of doing this project several of the students formed a nonprofit organization and applied for 501(c)3 status to enable their donors to make their donations tax deductible. The end result was the formation of a new nonprofit interior design organization called Designing for Veterans. This will enable, upon graduation of these students, the mission to continue and provide many more severely disabled veterans for the Afghanistan and Iraq wars with the quality environments they so richly deserve.
Mission Possible was recently on CBS 2 "Your Chicago with Rob and Kate". Check it out right here.
And Mission Possible was also featured on ABC WICD 15 check it out right here!
