Tennessee Tech faculty, students help create space for hope at Cookeville Rescue Mission
It’s hard to dream of sugar plums — or anything beyond tomorrow — without a safe, comfortable place to rest.
This holiday season, Tennessee Tech University faculty and interior design students partnered with the Cookeville Rescue Mission to transform one of the women’s shelter bedrooms into a more welcoming, functional space designed to foster dignity, comfort and a sense of hope.
The project was led by Amy Hill, a lecturer in Tech's College of Emerging and Integrative Studies and the founder of DreamChasers Ministry, a charitable organization focused on helping individuals pursue stability and opportunity despite difficult circumstances.
Hill said the idea was inspired by A Lotta Love, a national nonprofit that uses trauma-informed design to improve shelter environments and support positive emotional well-being.
“Seeing how A Lotta Love approaches shelter design really resonated with me,” Hill said. “They focus on how surroundings affect mindset — how creating a warm, intentional space can help people feel safer, valued and more hopeful. I wanted to bring that same philosophy to our community.”
Hill contacted the Cookeville Rescue Mission to explore whether a room redesign would be welcome and connected with Aeric Gunnels, lecturer of design studies at Tech, to involve students from his interior design course.
Gunnels said the project gave students an opportunity to apply their skills while making a meaningful community impact.
“I would love to see more projects like this that give students real-world, hands-on experience,” Gunnels said. “These types of projects are what our program is all about. We try to bridge that gap between the academic world and the real world. Not only is this helping the community, but it is also enhancing our students’ ability to take on design problems and find appropriate solutions in real time.”
Working within guidelines provided by the Rescue Mission, students redesigned the shared bedroom — which houses six women in three bunk beds — using a budget of approximately $500. Updates included new comforters, individual reading lights for each bed, storage and organizers, towels and personal-care baskets, and thoughtful finishing touches such as an ottoman, shower curtain and bathmat.
Students collaborated through group meetings and design planning sessions, developing a cohesive color scheme and mood board before implementing the final design.
Hill also got her communication students involved, creating a brochure for A Lotta Love to help share the organization’s mission and design approach with a broader audience.
She said the project left a lasting impression on everyone involved.
“One woman staying in the room was so grateful,” Hill said. “Moments like that remind you how much these details matter. Any of us could face hard times, and having a space that feels calm and cared for can make a real difference.”
Students chose not to be individually recognized for their work, instead emphasizing that the project was about helping others. “They just wanted to help,” Hill said.
She added that she hopes the project will serve as a model for future collaborations and room redesigns at the Rescue Mission.
“Now we know what’s possible and what works,” she said. “It’s a small space, but it carries a lot of meaning.”
For more information about Hill’s DreamChasers Ministry, visit its website at: http://dreamchasersministry.weebly.com/.