By SHAUN BYRON
Of The Oakland Press

PONTIAC – It was an extreme makeover that was in extreme need of some professional help.

Terry Grahl, a mother of four from Taylor and an awardwinning decorator, needed some professionals to aid her in making improvements to rooms for women in need at Grace Centers of Hope in downtown Pontiac.

What she got were numerous businesses and professionals lining up to lend a hammer, wrench and whatever else that was needed.

“Everyone was magnificent,” she said.

It was in late October that Grahl sent out a distress call to contractors to donate their time for repairs.

Numerous people in the building trades and home repair field, who supplied the expertise and labor to get the job done, heard that call.

That opened a floodgate of businesses that stepped up to the plate, Grahl said.

Numerous volunteers came together to replace plumbing and wiring, install ceilings and replace fixtures in rooms that are for women and families in need.

In all, eight private bedrooms and one apartment all were treated to extreme makeovers.

Some of the businesses that donated their time and materials include Force Building Company of Birmingham, Abbey Flooring of Livonia and Deoge’s Construction.

Grahl had spent an entire year collecting items for the rooms, preparing for the day she could decorate them.

It was only through the hard work and charity of these people to get the rooms in excellent condition that this was able to come about, she said.

“It was incredible,” Grahl said, adding there were even people who helped transport the furniture and decorations that had been donated. “We had a gentleman, he called and donated two 20-foot U-Haul trucks.”

David Force, owner of Force Building Company, said his company does mostly high-end work for multimillion-dollar homes.

“We are in better shape than a lot of other companies around,” he said. “We are still building houses for people on the upper end of the spectrum.

“We felt it was our obligation that we have to give something back.”

With that in mind, Force said his crew volunteered to work without pay and put their skills to work.

Plumbers, heating contractors and everyone else on his crew hopped into their work trucks and drove to the shelter.

Some of the employees were even called off job sites to help with the project.

“The crew I have working for me, is very different in that they are all very religious guys,” he said. “With our crew, there is no swearing, smoking or drinking.”

The quality of work performed by these craftsmen and contractors was the same as they put into the mansions they are paid to work on, Force said.

Aside from the bedrooms and apartment, the crew also repaired the centers’ early childhood care center.

The crews replaced trim and took down doors that had holes in them.

“I’m very proud of them,” Force said of his employees. “We had some plumbing issues, electrical issues ... they needed just about everything.

“We went to town on it. It was a joy for us to be able to do it, and it was humbling. It keeps you focused on what is important.”

The work and dedication put in by the volunteers and business owner was amazing to Pam Clark, director of the women’s program at Grace Centers of Hope.

The women living in the facility have had a boost in their self-esteem, especially those who may have not been raised with that quality of a lifestyle, Clark said.

“There was black mold, old prison beds,” she said of how the rooms looked before.

“It’s homey and it’s amazing. It just impresses me that people would give their time.

“When you hear so many bad things going on, it’s good to know there are still people concerned with helping.”

Contact staff writer Shaun Byron at (248) 745-4685 or shaun.byron@oakpress.com.