CLEVELAND — When she was 11 years old, Jessica Carmago found herself in the foster care system.
"It's an adjustment period because nothing is your own. You only come usually with the clothes on your back and next to no belongings, if any," Carmago said.
For many children, including Jessica, the trauma they endured occurred in what should be everyone's safe space. For many abused children, instead of being a sanctuary, bedrooms can feel unsafe.
"I think my sleeping patterns were horrific. I'd wake up during the night, have trouble going to sleep, racing thoughts, anxiety," Carmago said.
Whether it’s sexual, physical or neglect, when a survivor of child abuse lays their head down, Charisse Guenther doesn't want them to worry.
"Fourteen thousand children in Ohio have suffered from abuse. That's way too many," said Guenther. She is with “Room Redux,” which just launched a chapter in Northeast Ohio.
"We thought, what a great opportunity it would be to bring it to Cleveland," she said.
The non-profit redesigns rooms for children who have been abused.
"We do that anonymously, so the children never see us," said Guenther.
The goal is to create a safe and comfortable space that is so desperately needed.
Even though she’s just in the beginning stage of this project, Guenther said she is already learning a lot about the impact trauma has on children and how her nonprofit can help.
"I learned that a little goes a long way," she said.
Volunteers get the job done in just one day, and it goes well beyond a fresh coat of paint on the walls.
"It's new furniture, it's new flooring, new lighting fixtures. It's an entire renovation of a room," Guenther said.
So how does the team figure out a design for the rooms? Parents or caregivers fill out a form.
"It tells us favorite color, what things do they like, what's their favorite sport," said Guenther.
The information helps the team at Room Redux come up with a design specifically centered around each child.
So, if a boy loves superheroes, his room will have them, and if a girl loves Disney princesses, you better bet they'll be there.
"We are putting things that make them feel happy and safe in a space that may not have been that at one point in time," said Guenther.
On average, each room overhaul runs about $2,000.
"This is something, a little something we can do to help in their recovery," said Guenther.
Carmago said it will.
"It is a very lonely experience to be a foster child," said Carmago.
In a full-circle moment, Carmago is now an advocate for abused and neglected children through her work as an attorney.
"Having a safe bedroom and something that you can call your own that may include things that you like, that may be more personalized, it just brings this thing, I think it will bring normalcy," said Carmago.
Caregivers get referrals from psychologists, child protective services, and law enforcement agencies.
Children must be in therapy or have completed therapy, and the person who created the trauma must be out of their lives.
If you want to learn more about the non-profit visit www.roomredux.org.
