Friendship Haven Gets a Makeover

A home for the elderly, that's served Chattanooga for 73 years, gets a makeover. Thanks to the ladies of Delta Sigma Theta! More than 3 thousand women are in town for their regional conference, and one of their first stops was Friendship Haven. As part of Project Cherish, these ladies have chosen to pour out their time and efforts on Friendship Haven. The residents and staff say they couldn't be more pleased.

All the changes at Friendship Haven brings a smile to resident, Lurine Low's face.

“It's wonderful!” she exclaimed.

After being in the same building for 45 years, the senior home gets a well-deserved and much-needed makeover.

“We have done it all. We have etiquette tables now. We have pure china. We have good stuff. We even have a wall of art,” bragged Anne McGintis, Chairperson of Project Cherish.

The ladies of Delta Sigma Theta began working in February and got rid of all the old furniture. Everything inside Friendship Haven is new, from the paint on the walls to the tile on the floor. The curtains, the linens, the carpet...all of it donated by different chapters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

“We wanted to nurture. We wanted to embrace. We fell in love with the clients here,” said McGintis.

Friendship Haven serves low to low-moderate income elderly residents. It was founded in 1934 at a time when segregation was an accepted way of life.

“There was no place for colored women to go when they got older. So six ladies decided that they would start a home to take care of these ladies and so they sold cakes. They sold dinners,” said Estella Greaves, Executive Director of Friendship Haven.

Greaves said they still struggle to meet operational expenses each month. That's why this special project is greatly appreciated.

“They love it! It's exciting! We have new bedding! We have new sheets! We have new everything,” said McGintis.

And there is still more to be done. The women say they will continue to work on making Friendship Haven a brighter place to live until February. The sorority's southern regional conference is in town through Sunday.