We don’t decorate Shelters.
We transform lives.
Healing our Communities’ Hearts
Through the Power of Handmade.
Hi, I’m Terry Grahl. I’m the Founder, Visionary, and CEO of Enchanted Makeovers.
Whether you are a woman rebuilding your life in a shelter, or a volunteer/donor trying to hold it all together and heal your past too, I do understand. I battled homelessness as a child, so I know how it feels. I’ve also battled the regular struggles women face. The truth is, we’re not all that different.
Our core message is: She isMe
We all know heartache, shame, guilt, rejection, the nights where we feel maybe we should just give up. We all struggle to forgive ourselves and others. We need our inner child to be nurtured and loved and we believe our stories matter.
Here at Enchanted Makeovers I’m fighting for the 9 year old in me AND you.
We fight to bring light, hope, and dignity back into women and children’s lives.
Remember this, We are Warriors! YES! Warriors. No matter our circumstances.
Quick Facts
We are a national 501(c) 3 charitable non-profit organization based out of Taylor, MI who has been changing lives since 2007.
Women & Children in Shelters
We support women, children & female veterans in long term shelters escaping domestic violence, sex trafficking, and homelessness.
Thousands of Lives Changed
We have touched the hearts and inspired the minds of thousands of women and children in shelters and even our volunteers.
Over 48,000 Crafts Donated
Volunteers have made over 48,000 Capes, Pillowcases, Dolls, Quilts and Handmade treasures for women and children in shelters.
92-95% Goes to our Projects
92%-95% of your monetary donation goes directly to our programs, transformations,and projects.
Our Projects
It is proven that our environment affects us both mentally and physically.
We believe everyone is worthy of surroundings that will nurture their soul, heal their hearts and allow their greatness to emerge. This is especially important for those who have escaped unimaginable circumstances and are bravely rebuilding their lives in a long-term shelter. Help transform shelters from institutional, plain, often broken spaces to empowering, joyful, dignified havens.
Shelter Transformations
Sacred Sewing Rooms
Founder Terry’s mother said that “A sewing machine saved my life.” The Sacred Sewing Rooms in shelters not only provide a life skill, possible income stream, but also a coping mechanism and healing for women that need creative expression and solace. They are a magical safe haven for women to start dreaming.
Capes for Kids
We want children in shelters to know: “You have it within you to be your own superhero!” If we don’t have hope, what do we have? Children are transformed with a humble piece of material around their shoulders and tap into the power of their imaginations.
Doll Adoption Project
Children in shelters are paired with beautiful handmade dolls donated by crafters from around the globe. Adopting a doll gives children the opportunity to nurture and express love. This satisfies an innate need that we are all born with.
Traveling Pillowcase Project
A humble pillowcase can transform the way women and children see their shelter bed, turning it into a place to travel away from your circumstances and into your dreams. These bright and patterned pillowcases are handmade with love.
Your crafting passion could change lives
If you already love to sew or be creative and have been looking for a way to make the world a better place, we’d love for you to join our Village! There is something so empowering about being able to get outside yourself and help others. Join us!
Make a donation
92%-95% of all money donated goes directly to our projects, programs and transformations. No donation is too big or small and can easily be done online or by mail. Every dollar really counts!
How our Mission can help you
Enchanted Makeovers was created to be a full circle mission where everyone is both the teacher and student. Everyone is empowered. Everyone takes leaps of faith. If you are a donor/volunteer or women and children in a shelter, we walk together and stand with our sisters.
Individuals
What do you love to do? Craft? Sew? Paint? Blog? Whatever you love to do, you can use it to contribute! Just email us! Volunteers put their hearts into their handmade items and pray on them, making them transformational.
Schools
Children can make a cape for other kids and learn compassion and understanding for others and start learning to give back and feel good about doing good deeds. Would you like your class or school to participate?
Companies
Work together on a craft project in the boardroom as a team bonding and giving back activity. Employees love our projects and have shared how it brings out the kid in them.
Nursing Homes
Elderly residents feel empowered and love how they can share their talent by participating in our projects.
Attention Sewers
Whether you’re an individual or a member of a sewing group we are always in need of handmade twin size quilts and baby quilts. Colorful, bright, whimsy and cottage fabrics we love to use with each transformation. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Sororities/Fraternities
Sororities/Fraternities participate as part of their community service program. You’ll love being able to work on projects that unleash your creative spirit and create bonding.
Terry’s Story
What I saw at the shelter shook me: donated prison beds, duct-taped walls, nursing home bedspreads so thin I could poke my finger through them, lights hanging from wires, 30 women in one dorm with no privacy, dressers as cardboard boxes under the bed. Everything internally the women were feeling: unloved, forgotten, ashamed, worthless – it was being reflected in their environment too.
That’s unacceptable because you’re there to heal and rebuild. Your environment should be full of dignity. It should be sacred, just how my mother provided for me and my siblings. That love in every little detail is critical in the healing. I believed the external transformation of the room could mirror a woman’s internal transformation. If she is surrounded by beauty, love and caring, she’ll start to integrate that and believe she is worthy of that. Rather than being in an institutionalized setting…
