ALEXANDRIA, VA — Aisha Johnson had just been at the Alexandria Community Shelter for several days. The 42-year-old, a mother of a 22-year-old college graduate, has been homeless for eight to nine months after being evicted from her apartment. Johnson, who lives with a disability, has secured a voucher for housing and is waiting for her time to move in.

“I’m glad he didn’t have to experience this eviction because he’s in another state studying for his early childhood education degree,” Johnson told Patch

Johnson is one of the individuals who is staying in the newly-redesigned space at Alexandria Community Shelter, which Carpenter’s Shelter took over one year ago. Nonprofit Beyond the Blueprint, which seeks to empower domestic violence survivors through design, redesign the space with a goal of providing more comfortable, brighter living areas. A teen in the community also helped spearhead a makeover for the children’s area at the shelter.

Find out what's happening in Old Town Alexandriawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“Beyond the Blueprint’s shelter makeover project goes beyond redesigning spaces — it’s about fostering environments where survivors of trauma can find hope and begin to heal,” said Tianna Stratley, founder and executive director of the Beyond the Blueprint Foundation.

Click Here: Cheap Vans Women Shoes

The Alexandria Community Shelter is a 64-bed facility at 2355-B Mill Road that serves individuals and families. It is also the current location of the city’s winter hypothermia shelter through mid-April.

Find out what's happening in Old Town Alexandriawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

When Carpenter’s Shelter acquired the shelter in December 2023, it cleaned up and painted the residential rooms that guests stay in. Communal spaces like the lounge area, dining hall, community room and front entrance were the focus of Beyond the Blueprint’s project. Other partners contributing to the project were All Green Pros, Amazing Listing Photos, Monarch Paint Benjamin Moore Paint Store Alexandria, Bob’s Discount Furniture, Charles Graves Painting Company, Floor & Decor Alexandria, Professional Floor Installer, Revival Rugs, Williams Professional Painting and WoodUpp.

“It has made a world of a difference to our shelter,” said Denise Ziegler, director at the Alexandria Community Shelter, at the ribbon cutting. “If anyone has seen it before and now the after, the impact that it has not only on our residents but on staff as well. They’re able to come in and enjoy this wonderful space. Our people that come in and have all kinds of issues and recent trauma are able to use this space to be able to lessen that.”

Shelter guests had similar sentiments.

“I’ve seen a lot of people who come down here. They are either sad or they’re going through their ups and downs,” said current resident, whose identity was not disclosed for privacy reasons. “I noticed each time that the shelter residents come out in certain areas of this facility which was renovated, put the colors in, their mood changed.”

Johnson wants the community to know that Carpenter’s Shelter is effective in helping homeless residents in their time of need.

“I’m grateful to be here. The staff here are professional and present,” said Johnson. “Without this place, I wouldn’t be able to eat and sleep.”

LeBaron Frost, another guest, was at the shelter before the makeover and acknowledged the difference the upgrades and Carpenter’s Shelter staff make.

“Just being here in Virginia having come from Charlotte, North Carolina, it is definitely heart touching just to see how much this city and this state supports people who are less fortunate and are going through trauma in their lives, going through homelessness for whatever reason they found themselves here,” said Frost at the ribbon cutting. “Anyone who works here has been very supportive of me. I can get a hug when I need a hug. I can get a cup of hot tea when I need a cup of hot tea.”


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.