Affecting Lives
Not Just A Picture But Hundreds Of Stories
This thing, this Popsicle looking thing ...
... has played an important part in many peoples lives. The project it was used on when this picture was taken will affect the lives of many more for years to come. It played a role in a makeover for "Matthew House"a small refugee centre in Toronto.
This was a make over that excited even the crew from Design Design. They could feel the excitement and appreciation of those involved in Matthew house. From the Matthew House staff and the refugees who lived and worked there during the makeover, to the refugees who returned to work along side other volunteers, the crew felt a real sense of appreciation for what was taking place.
I first saw this mysterious item in use, stirring a can of paint, dipping down, twisting, then raising it up high above the can, over and over again. I innocently asked what on earth he was using? He held it up and I was none the wiser. Upon looking at it closer it really is an ordinary stir stick covered with hundreds of layers of paint. Each layer representing a page in the lives of another family, another makeover completed by the Devine Design Team.
He started using it a couple of years ago, as a professional painter, it gets used day in and day out. It has done many of the 217 Devine Design projects. When Devine Design wrapped their very last project at Matthew House last week, I asked Bernie what he was going to do with it now. ‘I would love to cut it open and see all the colours, but I do not want to wreck it. I could continue to use it, but I've decided to take it home and frame it.
The Last Show
It has been the source of many conversations, and it holds so many memories of the Devine Design Makeovers. It will be retired with the last coat from the last show .... the paint we used at Matthew House."
Bernie is pictured on the left,
brush and paint in hand, in an earlier post about the Matthew House Makeover
A Realization
Hearing the stories of some of the refugees first hand of the journey along the refugee highway and their arrival in this foriegn land impacted the makeover team. Many of the DD team mentioned how exciting it was to be part of the remake of Matthew House, as they realized how much of a difference it would mean to so many refugees over the years. They could see their part in our goal of offering a safe place of hope and dignity to hurting people at the end of the Refugee Highway.
Matthew House is a small shelter for refugees in down town Toronto that welcomes refugees who arrive with nothing but the shirt on their backs and no where to turn. You may have heard me talking about it, sharing some of the amazing stories. The core value of Matthew House is to offer ‘a place of hope at the end of the Refugee Highway', by offering shelter and food, help completing confusing refugee application papers, medical and counseling referrals, orientation to life in Canada, assistance in finding apartments, offering monthly drop-ins, and summer camp.
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I tried for several minutes to figure out just what it was before reading further. What a priceless treasure that paint stirrer is, having touched so many lives in a positive way. Thank you for sharing.
Connie - indeed it is ... enough so that Bernie treasures it.
Hi Kathy - Both Barrie and yourself have been posting quite a bit and collecting lots of points for this Name That Photo (as well as on the Matthew House, a very worthwhile project) and the 217 Devine Design television show, which I have not yet seen.
When do you expect that the episode will be broadcast?
Kathy,
Ahh, who would have guessed.
Beautiful post and certainly a very intriguing story about a commonly used item. Imagine all of the stories somehow connected to this paint stirrer....a book in itself.
Jo
Marc - After a trip to Ghana in 2000 to help build a food storage building and teach English, a life changing experience, I was looking for a way to give back. This lead to a trip to Greece to help with a Refugee Highway Meeting one thing led to another and for the last 5 years I have been very involved with Matthew House.
The episode is currently scheduled to air April 1st on the W network
... it should be fun.
Jo - Indeed it would ... I know I will always remember the final chapter ... the people who helped write it ... the people involved in making it happen ... and the people yet to be blessed by this amazing makeover...