Festival guests can get involved in the action by helping to paint Doors to a Brighter Future at the building site. Doors, purchased from Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore, will feature unique paint-by-number designs created by volunteers from Principal Financial Group® and around the community. Festival guests will have the chance to help paint in the design, and then eight of these completed door works of art will be installed as interior doors in the finished house.
Guests will also be able to get creative and add their own special touch to a picket fence that will be assembled around the house as the Festival weekend goes by.
By Sunday, the exterior of the house will be complete and guests will be able to tour the inside of the house before it is hooked up to a truck and driven to its permanent location at 1317 College Street in Des Moines.
The house, 1,056 finished-square-feet including three bedrooms and a front porch, will be purchased by Alicia, mother of two sons, Jaythan (8) and James (4). Almost a year ago, Alicia decided to move in with her grandparents in order to save money and address her financial obligations. She has worked hard to purchase a house from Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity, and hopes to one day go back to school and obtain her PhD in Pharmacy.
Founded in 1986, Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity partners with the community to provide decent and affordable homeownership for qualified low-income families. In 2008, GDM Habitat dedicated their 100th home in Des Moines. In 2009, they will build or rehabilitate 22 homes. For more information visit gdmhabitat.org.
The Des Moines Arts Festival is presented by The Des Moines Register, founded by the Des Moines Art Center and produced by Downtown Events Group. The Festival is sponsored by Prairie Meadows, Principal Financial Group®, Bank of the West, GuideOne Insurance, Hubbell Homes, Hy-Vee and Meredith Corporation. For more information on the Des Moines Arts Festival visit desmoinesartsfestival.org.