Flexsteel Industries, Inc., Dubuque, Iowa announced that it has joined force with The Evanosky Foundation and its House of Hope project. The Evanosky Foundation’s House of Hope is a home away from home for families with children with metabolic disorders who are going through the transplant process at Duke University Children's Hospital. A transplant procedure typically requires families to travel out of state and stay in North Carolina for five to ten months, creating a significant financial and emotional burden. Recognizing that most families do not have the financial resources to fund two homes, especially while incurring substantial medical bills, The Evanosky Foundation developed the House of Hope. This luxury apartment, located in Durham, North Carolina, is available to families free ocharge.
Flexsteel supported the House of Hope by donating over $15,000 of furniture and plans to provide an additional $15,000 for a second home that is scheduled for completion in March 2009. Flexsteel’s Chief Designer, Mike Smith, who has a direct interest in the cause (his nephew received a transplant at Duke University Children’s Hospital) stated, “Flexsteel is behind this project 100%. The comfort these houses provide the families is an inspiration to all of us. It’s a tough battle for these families and having a comfortable place to recover is priceless.”
In December 2008, The Evanosky Foundation opened its first House of Hope in Durham, North Carolina. Bob Evanosky, President of The Evanosky Foundation, enlisted the help of his brother-in-law, Flexsteel’s Mike Smith, to design a comfortable and tranquil setting for families whose children are recovering from a bone marrow or stem cell transplant. These children have severely compromised immune systems and must be in a clean environment with limited contac with the public. Because these families must be isolated from others and stay inside much of the time, it is critical to the child’s recovery process that the entire family be able to stay in a positive environment, without financial burdens. Smith was responsible for the interior décor and employed homelike amenities such as walls painted in warm, neutral tones, a high efficiency washer and dryer, a computer with high-speed wireless Internet access, flat screen televisions, DVD players, and a video gaming system. Special amenities that enable a cleaner environment and reduce dust accumulation, such as laminate wood floors, ceiling fans and wood blinds, wer also installed.
Furniture—a critical component of the home—was all supplied by Flexsteel. Most notably, all of the upholstered furniture is covered in a specially patented material that is both comfortable and can be easily disinfected—which is critical for transplant patients. Rocky Mount, North Carolina based Uttermost supplied approximately $5,000 of well-appointed lamps, clocks, and wall decor that help give the House of Hope its welcoming atmosphere. The Evanosky Foundation's House of Hope 2 is scheduled to open in March 2009. Flexsteel will once again support this cause by donating another $15,000 of furniture while Uttermost will contribute another $5,000 of wall décor, lamps, and clocks.
For more information on the House of Hope, please contact The Evanosky Foundation by visiting its website at www.evanoskyfoundation.org, sending an e mail to evanoskyfoundation@evanoskyfoundation.org or calling (630) 236-8039. Flexsteel Industries, Inc. is headquartered in Dubuque, Iowa, and was incorporated in 1929. Flexsteel is a designer, manufacturer, importer and marketer of quality upholstered and wood furniture for residential, recreational vehicle, office, hospitality and healthcare markets.