Impact House Helps Young Adults Aging Out Of The Foster Care System

We recently completed an important project for the Focus Church in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. The church created Impact House to help young adults who have aged out of the foster care system transition to independent living. Abe Degnan designed, arranged, and managed the project. Dozens of volunteers were enlisted from the church and joined with local business leaders to remodel this home with a minimal out-of-pocket cost.

The project started as a smelly, dilapidated two-bedroom, two-bath 1970s duplex, which the team transformed into a comfortable, midcentury-inspired, five-bedroom, four-bath home! Remodeling this duplex into a modern, safe home is the work we were all involved in. However, it is equally important to understand the mission of the Impact House program.

Before Duplex Remodel

After Duplex Remodel

Before Duplex Remodel

After Duplex Remodel

Building a Bright Future

In Dane County, Wisconsin, there are around 150 young adults who have aged out of the foster care system. They no longer have the support structure of their original or foster family. The primary goal of the Impact House Program is to help these young women transition into responsible adults.

Far too many of these young adults end up homeless or in jail. Many have endured various traumas and are not as ready to move on to adulthood as the average 18-year-old. Some do not possess the life skills to hold a job or rent their own apartment. Upon aging out of the foster system, it becomes easier for a faith-based organization, like the Focus Church, to help. Every potential resident of Impact House must apply to be there, choose to follow the rules, and graduate from the program.

A Remodeled Duplex and a Chance at a New Life

One side of the duplex is home to the adult mentors, program director Mandy, and her husband Dustin. The other side was remodeled to have five bedrooms to become home to five young women as they transition to their new lives. Every resident signs a 6-month lease, pays a nominal rent, and lives by the house rules as they work through the program.

Upon completing the program, half of their rent will be returned! Leases can be renewed for up to 2 years, helping to ensure that the residents who need the most help receive it. When a resident graduates and is ready to move on, they free up a spot for another young woman. The residents have one-to-one mentoring, attend church services, volunteer at the Focus Church, and take care of the home.

Before Duplex Remodel

After Duplex Remodel

Before Duplex Remodel

After Duplex Remodel

How This Duplex Was Remodeled

Volunteers and donors transformed what began as two-bedroom duplexes with unfinished basements into a safe, comfortable home. New egress windows allowed three more bedrooms on one side and two on the other. Each side of the duplex went from one bathroom to two, and the mentors now have main-level laundry in what used to be a portion of the garage.

Kitchens and bathrooms were gutted, and all new flooring, painting, lighting, and other finishes were installed. An element of the program is giving residents an attractive and serene place to live, a respite from a tumultuous life, and a comfortable environment to ensure the resident's engagement. It is a proper home to help normalize and stabilize lives.

As Focus Church developed the plan for Impact House, they determined that the existing two-bedroom floor plans were too small for the goals of their program. Too many young adults need the support. Because one side of the duplex was to house the program director and her family, it was crucial to finish the basement.

Before Duplex Remodel

After Duplex Remodel

Donations for digging and cutting the egress windows were secured, and the project was begun. The team completed extensive plumbing, framing, and electrical work in the basement. The program director's side now has four bedrooms for her family and a downstairs family room in the newly finished basement. On the other side of the duplex, a 5th bedroom replaces the family room, allowing another resident to participate in the program.

The décor is carefully chosen as a part of the plan for creating a comfortable and serene home. Each of the five resident bedrooms has a color scheme for bedding and linens, and every resident has a color code for their personal stuff, right down to the kitchen utensils. This system helps to build a sense of pride, ownership, and responsibility, and everyone knows what belongs to each resident. When a resident graduates and move out, they get to take all of their personal linens, bedding, and dishes to help get them started in their new home.

This project gave everyone involved, the volunteers, the donors, and the members of the Focus Church, a true sense of accomplishment and a source of pride. For Abe Degnan, this project is one of personal passion and reward. In 2021, God Himself inspired Pastor Ryan Foldhazi to bring this vision to Focus Church and it has become a reality. We all look forward to changing lives for years to come and, expanding the Impact House Program to include young men and more as we continue to “Love God, Love People, and Do Something” at Focus Church.

View All Of The Pictures of This Project

Volunteers and Contributors

Major 100% Donors

They contributed 100% to the largest and most expensive parts of the project! These companies displayed the highest level of generosity, truly going above and beyond expectations.

Project Management: Degnan Design-Build-Remodel, Abe Degnan
Plumbing: Kruchten Plumbing, Kevin Kruchten 608-712-0359
Electrical: American Enterprises, Dave Miller 608-577-8465
Landscape, Driveway Removal & Egress Window Cutting: Best Buds Landscaping, Casey Davenport www.thebest-buds.com
Framing: Degnan Design-Build-Remodel, Abe Degnan, Dylan Degnan, Austin Guenther
Framing & Trim: Drexel Building Supply, Marc Medema, Keith Batenhorst and Rachel Rapacz www.drexelteam.com

100% Donors

They provided a full aspect of the project at no charge.

Project Design: Zach Degnan, Degnan Design-Build-Remodel
Basement Design: Abe Degnan, Degnan Design-Build-Remodel
Cabinet Design: Dondi Szombatfalvy
Cabinet Installation: Degnan Design-Build-Remodel, Abe Degnan, Kelly Lawton
Egress Excavation: Brian’s Custom Digging, Brian Ulrich 920-252-1021
Egress Windows: Window World of Madison 608-200-3860
Bathtubs: Kohler Sterling, Steve Schmidt
Laundry Room Fixtures: Kohler, Gerhardt’s First Supply, Trish Endres www.firstsupply.com/madison
HVAC: Dischler Heating & Cooling, Nathan Dischler www.dischlerheating.com
Insulation - Elite Insulators, Kyle Driessen 608-669-1135
Countertop Materials: Linnstone, Jaye Finn www.linnstone.com
Backsplash Tile: Hetzel Tile, Brad Bauer www.hetzeltm.com
Window Coverings: Prairie Shade & Shutter, Jeff Rohrer www.prairieshade.com
Financial Donor: Livable Communities by Don Tierney www.livablecommunities.com

Major Contributors

They provided significant and generous discounts on huge parts of the project.

Bathroom Fixtures & Accessories: Moen, Ferguson Supply, Michelle Cusak www.ferguson.com
Light Fixtures: Madison Lighting, Lovisa Champion and Tom Woodward www.madisonlighting.com
Drywall & Painting: J&E Drywall, Jesse Morales 608-2287-7185
Cabinets: North Point Cabinetry, Bella Domicile, Dan Luck www.belladomicile.com

Special thanks to Michael Conway (means-of-production.com) and AJ Griesen (www.ajphotographyinc.com) for their volunteer work on the webpage, blog, and photography!

An Above the Garage Master Suite Addition Remodeling Project

We recently completed an addition for our clients, John and Amy, a professional couple with young children living in the Blooming Meadows neighborhood in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

Their home featured three bedrooms on the second floor. The existing master bedroom was outdated and impractical for modern living, and with three young children, two needed to share one of the two remaining bedrooms, and all three kids shared the second-floor bathroom. Another problem the family needed addressed was that John needed a private home office, and the one they currently had was a shared space that did not work well for his job.

Let's take a look at our creative solution for this young family!

A New Private Bathroom for the Adults!

One of the major elements on John and Amy's wish list was a private bathroom space just for them. They wanted plenty of space to get ready in the morning, away from the kids, and we delivered! The bathroom features a handcrafted Amish custom double vanity with a tower cabinet in alder wood, stained Carbon Gray. The contrasting Linnstone Quartz Calcutta pattern countertop brightens the space and ties in visually with the elegant tile work in the spacious walk-in shower. We added custom alder wood framed mirrors stained in the same Carbon Gray as the cabinets to complete the vanity. Over each of the mirrors, we installed Quoizel 2 light vanity fixtures to provide plenty of warm light.

In the shower, the 21st Century Tile 12x24 floor-to-ceiling tiles in Tivoli Silver give the room a bright and modern feel, and the low entry shower makes entering the shower safe and easy for the couple. We included a helpful niche in the shower for shampoo and other toiletries and, for contrast, used a beautiful hexagon mosaic accent tile. The glass doors give the space an open feel, making it bright and inviting. The Arbor Hills luxury vinyl plank flooring in timber adds a warm feel, giving the room a natural look with the benefit of waterproof LVP.

The Result

The final result of this second-floor master suite addition is a home that fits John, Amy, and the kid's needs and lifestyle perfectly. John now has the perfect private office space. Since John and Amy now have their private master suite, and each of the kids has their own bedroom giving them their own space to grow as they grow, their home is more comfortable and functional. And on the exterior, you can't even tell there's been an addition!

Are you considering an addition or other home improvement project? Let us help you design the perfect finished space! If you live in the Greater Madison area, call the experts at Degnan Design-Build-Remodel at (608) 846-5963. We can take your home to the next level of comfort, design, and function! Ready to learn more? We're always happy to answer your questions.