Hi friends, I hope this is not a violation of this site's rules in any way. As a semi-regular to these boards, I know there are lots of good people on here, so I wanted to reach out for support in any form, with our annual service project.

The backstory: As some of you know, I'm enrolled in the interior design certificate program at UCLA. Each year, our ASID Student Chapter's big "thing" is a community service project design-build. One year it was a halfway house, another it was a shelter for battered women; this year, we are working on a transitional housing facility that supports low income single-parent families with a roof over their head and career and parenting resources such as free daycare and counseling. Our remodel centers on the common areas, a communal kitchen and daycare center. I am project managing and heading our construction efforts, and working alongside a fellow student-designer and as many volunteers as we can wrangle! We are scheduled to "break ground" in early-mid June. Until then, our focus is on fundraising and seeking out "in kind" donations (furniture, decor, building materials, etc).

About the project: We will not be taking on any structural work, beyond building a non-bearing pony wall as an enclosure for a pantry type space. The single largest element is replacing the shoddy particle board cabinetry in the kitchen. Our work is aimed at improving the functionality of the existing space. Improvements include building additional storage, computer work stations and re-carpeting the daycare with something more durable and attractive. We will be giving the facility's common areas a cosmetic "makeover", and hope to replace much of the furniture.

Who we're serving: Although I don't think there's any legal reason not to specify the organization, I don't feel entirely comfortable just broadcasting it on the web. They are a 501-c3 with several facilities here in Southern California, and if you PM me I'll fill you in on all the specifics as well as the info you'd need for a tax write off should you be interested in donating. It feels weird stating this in such a formal manner, but I should add that the non-profit we're assisting has no affiliation to me, my program (UCLA) or the ASID, other than the fact that our ASID student chapter has chosen them as the recipient of our annual service project.

What we're looking for: any monetary or in-kind donations, or if you're in the Los Angeles area, we welcome volunteers to come out for a day or two and see what we're up to! Items we seek include furniture, building supplies, window treatments, shelving and new carpeting and/or flooring. And, naturally, any of your woodworking/crafts you'd like to find a good home for! I have tentative plans, a wish list and mood-board to better explain the look we're going for.

Cabinetry: As mentioned, our biggest task will be replacing the cabinetry along one wall of the facility's approximately 10x15 communal kitchen. Due to the obvious time and costs involved in cabinet making, the organization DOES have funding for this. If you are a cabinet maker in the Los Angeles area, I'd be interested in discussing with you. But please keep in mind the job is for an NPO, and our budget is probably not on par with what you may be used to making. I understand there will necessarily be some back and forth on pricing, but don't want it to turn into a negotiation headache. We're reasonable people, with realistic expectations, and we're serving a good, not for profit cause.

Benefits to you: tax write-off, good karma, different sponsorship levels with varying levels of promotion for your business. In two weeks we are hosting our largest fundraising event of the year. So besides aiding a good cause, this is an opportunity to gain visibility among designers and the design community in Southern California.

If you have made it this far, thank you for reading up on the project! Feel free to PM me for more information, or if you think you might be interested in helping out. I don't think I've seen any posts of a similar nature on here, so if this is somehow against the TOU, I apologize in advance.