Georgia’s First Lady & Shaw Unit to Help Second Ch

Dalton, GA, October 3, 2006- Rushing to hang the last picture, place the last accent pillow and arrange the kitchen table over the new area rug, Shaw’s research and development and marketing teams, Dalton, Ga.’s Family Support Council and Georgia’s first lady’s Our Children Campaign recreated the local Oak Haven Second Chance Home on September 25. Before sunrise and after months of careful planning, Shaw volunteers arrived at Oak Haven ready to complete the challenging task. The surprise makeover started as soon as the residents, composed of teen mothers and their children, left for school. The lawns at Oak Haven were filled with furniture and supplies while workers swarmed the home with paint brushes and tools in hand. New curtains were hung, walls painted bright shades and artwork displayed. Shaw designers decorated with stylish area rugs and trendy bedding. Other volunteers organized closets and freshened bathrooms with new accessories. The volunteers hurried to complete the home makeover by late afternoon before the residents returned. “Since we opened Oak Haven, it has been my goal that these moms and children will not have a second hand life,” Holly Rice, executive director of the Family Support Council, said. “Girls who become pregnant as teenagers are keenly aware that society disapproves of their behavior- particularly successful members of society. The fact that 75 successful people from Shaw went to such an effort on their behalf says more to them than words could ever say. It went far beyond the exterior and touched places within the girls that will last forever.” “Our employees have been here since before sunup to work on this makeover,” Randy Merritt, Shaw’s president, said. “I hope everyone will come back to see the finished product and to visit with the mothers who live here. Shaw is proud to partner with the first lady’s Our Children Campaign to be apart of this cause.” Established in 2001, Oak Haven is a fully licensed second chance home. The philosophy behind the home is to provide a stable and nurturing environment so that the mothers may seek education, learn positive parenting skills and become independent and successful members of the community. Much like the overall goals of Our Children Campaign, Oak Haven strives to eliminate homelessness, reduce child abuse and neglect, reduce the cycle of academic discontinuation and break the cycle of welfare dependence. Since opening, Oak Haven has served 84 clients and provided a model for eight other homes of its kind in Georgia. Our Children Campaign is headed by Georgia governor’s wife, Mary Perdue, and encompasses the motto “creating the day when all of Georgia’s children are equipped with the tools and opportunities to mature into well balanced, healthy and productive members of society.” Mary Perdue rolled up her sleeves and assisted in painting shelves among other projects at Oak Haven. “It’s time to let go of the ease and comfort of not knowing about Georgia’s hurting children. Our challenge is to find these children in our midst and do whatever we can to provide healthy and nurturing environments,” Perdue said. Shaw became involved with the first lady’s campaign after producing a video on child abuse in 1996. The First Lady’s Children’s Cabinet contacted Shaw through the Family Support Council after viewing the video and asked Shaw to reproduce an updated version of the video for their organization. Because of the success of the video on educating children and adults on the dangers and warning signs of child abuse, Shaw was awarded the title “Champion of Children” by Perdue. And as Perdue named September 2006 “Champion Our Children Month”, Shaw chose Oak Haven as the perfect place to make a difference.

Related Topics:Shaw Industries Group, Inc.

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