Mesa boys’ home gets a makeover by student volunteers

The 10 boys who call Palm Lane home have it good, especially when compared with the living situations they had before, which were unfit for anyone, let alone a kid. But there is always room — or in this case, rooms — for improvement.

When the student chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers at Scottsdale Community College approached Sunshine Acres Children’s Home in Mesa with hopes of renovating one of the community’s seven homes, the choice was an easy one.

"Palm Lane had not really been refurbished for some time, and it was really showing a lot of wear," said Patricia Craze, the ASID chapter officer who helped manage the project.

The Palm Lane building was constructed 43 years ago, seven years after the children’s Sunshine Acres complex opened on the property, and is one of the oldest buildings on site.

It was lacking the personality other Sunshine Acres homes have, like Palo Verde with its homey Victorian living room or Cholla Walk’s kitschy country theme. Walls were bare and white, and donated furniture didn’t look like it belonged.

But all that changed over four days last week, when about 65 volunteers — including SCC students and their relatives and friends — painted and refurnished Palm Lane’s three bedrooms, living room, media room, bathroom, laundry room and back porch. The project was funded by donations from organizations including the Pakis Family Foundation and Sherwin-Williams.

Based on the boys’ love of skateboarding and BMX bicycling, the student designers chose extreme sports as the home’s main theme. Features include a "ski chalet" bathroom with skis as towel racks, a set of drawers with skateboarding wheels as pulls in the "skateboarding" bedroom and a window valance decorated with grass in a salmon-colored "surf" bedroom. Mini skate ramps were installed on the back porch, as were real lockers, and compact discs decorate the walls of the media room.

The only areas of the home without a sports theme are the laundry room and living room, which, with soft green walls, dark wood and furniture donated by Newport Furnishings in Phoenix, now looks like a page out of a Pottery Barn catalog.

Michelle Pierce, a thirdsemester interior design student who designed the boys’ bedrooms, said her intent was to "take a little bit of a mature approach and give them a real cool place to hang out."

Judging by the reactions of the boys on Monday afternoon — the first time they were allowed to see their new digs — Pierce accomplished her goal. All of the boys ran past the living room and directly to their bedrooms and "Cool!" was the response heard from most, though a few stared in silence with open mouths and wide eyes.

Demetrius, Scott, Caleb and Derik liked the lime green shelves in their BMX room, which were lined with real tires. Wall-mounted skateboards were a big hit among roommates Clifton, Robert and Josh.

"It’s awesome. It’s just what we needed," said house mom Susan Luedes.

Sunshine Acres, a facility for children who have been separated from their parents, was founded 50 years ago in April by the Rev. Jim Dingman and Vera Dingman and operates solely on donations. According to executive director Carol Whitworth, this is the first time a home has been completely renovated by volunteers.

"It’s just wonderful," she said.

Children’s home

Sunshine Acres Children’s Home, a facility for children who have been separated from their parents, was founded 50 years ago this April. For more information or to donate, call (480) 832-2540.