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The Voice of Downriver

By Jenny Adkins

Terry Grahl of Taylor found an unexpected mission when she was contacted by Grace Centers of Hope Women’s Shelter in Pontiac in 2007.


Grahl, an interior decorator, had no idea that a visit to the shelter would prompt a two-year, volunteer makeover effort that she hoped would make women and children feel more at home.


She replaced paneling and mismatched bedding to create a cheerful haven for residents who formerly occupied dreary rooms.


“I found my calling,” Grahl wrote on her Web site (www.EnchantedMakeovers.org) “I vowed to create a space for those women and children that would revive their broken spirits and help them heal.”


Her business, Terry’s Enchanted Cottage, has now become Enchanted Makeovers.  The organization is pursuing legal nonprofit status as a charitable organization. “I’m so excited for the future of Enchanted Makeovers,” she wrote in a January Web blog.


Grahl’s efforts have received national attention in magazines and television shows, and recently, her work caught the attention of the members of Soroptimist International of the Flat Rock Area.


She was awarded the organization’s “Making A Difference for Women Award 2009” as a result of her work.


But the wife and mother’s mission isn’t limited to shelter redecorating projects. She is planning to launch another undertaking.


Grahl is searching for volunteers to help her sew “traveling sanctuary bags” or provide cards that will be attached to the bags. They will be donated to women and children living in shelters.


The bags are pillowcases with drawstrings, so they can be used to hold personal items. Interested? Visit Grahl’s Web site to learn more.

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