(PRWEB) August 2, 2007 -- Sophisticate Interiors, in association with the San Franciso Mart, engineers a pro-bono redesign of the San Francisco homeless shelter for families, Raphael House.

Sophie Azouaou, Founder and Chief Designer of interior design juggernaut, Sophisticate Interiors, has leveraged her extensive contacts in the interior design community and applied it to her passion for Raphael House, San Francisco’s oldest and most successful family shelter.

Azouaou states: “Raphael House is more than a shelter. It follows the timeless principle that if you feed a person a fish you feed them for the day. If you teach them to fish you feed them for a lifetime”.

Raphael House is dedicated to helping at-risk children and their parents achieve stable housing and financial independence, while strengthening family bonds and personal dignity. Established in 1971 as the first shelter in San Francisco for families experiencing homelessness, Raphael House has sheltered more than 10,000 children and their parents.

Additionally, Raphael House provides children and their families with an extensive array of after-care services, including an after school program for children with financial and social supports for parents.

“The goal”, adds Sophie, “is to help families get back on their feet, and out on their own with a sense of pride and the skills needed to thrive in the community. The success of the program is astounding.”

In addition to serving on the Board of Directors of the Raphael House, Sophie Azouaou is engineering a complex redesign of the facilities. The make-over consists of a new basketball court in the After Care building, a complete redo of the teen room, as well as furnishings and accessories for the Residential Shelter Program.

A portion of the project is being funded through two generous grants from the Fremont Bank Foundation, Babcock & Brown and furniture donations from the San Francisco Mart and Sophisticate Interiors.

Before and after coverage is being provided by
ABC Network’s, “The View From The Bay” show w/ Hosts Spencer Christian and Janelle Wang
For more information about Raphael House or the project please go to:
www.raphaelhouse.org
www.Sophisticateinteriors.com