Late last week, we shared a very special event, and a first for Homeward Bound Villages, we were selected by a group from Leadership La Porte County’s 42nd Adult Cohort for a service project. The group, composed of working professionals from across La Porte County, came together to lend their time and talent to bring something truly special to Karwick Village residents: kitchen tables and chairs that the group called “the heart of these homes.”
The Project:
When the former La Porte hospital closed, we were invited to come take what could be of use at Karwick Village. We selected a small handful of pieces that could be put to good use. Some of these items were 5 sets of what would become dining sets for Karwick Village residents. The tables and chairs were stored away for when they could be put to good use. As is often the case in life, fate has another plan. What was a dry, secure storage area developed an unknown leak, causing damage to the furniture that was generously donated. However, all was not lost; the damage was caught in time. During the construction, fundraising, and business of setting up life at Karwick Village, the chairs sat with the intention that we would get to them, clean them, and refinish them for our residents who needed them.
In January of 2026, the group from Leadership La Porte approached us to seek a service project as part of their class requirements. After some discussion, the group agreed to help us restore the furniture.
The Process:
The group met to discuss the project and made a plan of attack. They agreed to refinish ten chairs and 5 tables, giving new lives to 5 complete dining sets (2 chairs and 1 table each). The group coordinated with us to make a list of supplies needed and got ready to get to work.
Yet not all went as planned, as one group member put it during their presentation at Leadership La Porte last week: “None of us slept that night; we reached out across the community to source a solution.” The upholstery portion of the project, in which the group had to reupholster the chair’s seats, proved much trickier than they had initially anticipated. The chair’s seats had many curves and uneven edges, which made what looked like a simple job much more complicated. The group sprang into action and found a generous upholsterer in Michigan City, Palmer Upholstery, who, upon hearing the dilemma, agreed to reupholster the seats for the group at an incredible discount.
With the seats sorted, the group continued on with the project. One member took the seat backs to have the upholstery professionally cleaned and sanitized. Heartland Carpet Care and Cleaning Services donated all of the cleaning chemicals and labor to make these seat backs like new.
With the seat backs and seats sorted, the group began to refinish the beautiful wooden chairs and began to work on the tables.
The project took a little over a month to complete, with group members volunteering over a series of evenings to make these dining sets beautiful for Karwick Village residents.
“This wasn’t just a project for us; our group got it, what these tables and chairs meant to those who will receive them. These are the heart of these homes, where homework happens, meals are shared, board games are played, and love and support grow and flourish.” Group member Jackie Thomas said about the project.
Thank You to Our Community
This project, a first for our organization, highlighted the generosity of community spirit. We would like to thank Leadership La Porte County, Group Members Philip Pope, Lendell Hood, Marisa Rempala, Christen Zabell, and Jackie Thomas. Additionally, we want to thank the incredibly generous businesses that supported this group and this project; they share in creating the hearts of these homes. Thank you toPalmer Upholstery in Michigan City and Heartland Carpet Care and Cleaning Services in Chesterton for their generosity.
