Mary Murray knows something about hope. For more than 30 years, this Sports Medicine and Nutrition associate professor has been a clinician and educator, providing motivation and encouragement to both her patients and athletic training (AT) students.
But lately, she’s found another way to deliver hope. This time to individuals and families who are transitioning out of shelters and into places of their own.
Murray, who was inspired by a Chicago-based nonprofit organization called Humble Design, works with case workers at local shelters including Light of Life Rescue Mission and HEARTH. They connect her to people who are advancing out of their programs and preparing for a fresh start in a new house or apartment.
She collects gently used household goods such as furniture, bedding, decor, cookware, kitchen utensils and other essential items. With the help of her husband, teenage son and daughter, family members and friends, she then goes to work furnishing these new homes.
In many cases, she meets with clients early in the process to get a list of their needs and a sense of what’s important to them.
“These people have come so far,” says Murray. “But they’re still working on themselves, overcoming their addiction, getting through recovery or over the pain of abuse. Some are on their own, but others are single mothers with children. It means a lot to be able to take away some of the stresses—and burdens— that come with moving forward.”
Making an Impact
Murray recalls her first client. “When I first walked into her apartment, there was a foam mat on the floor. This is where she slept. Her worldly goods were in black garbage bags.”
“We were able to provide her with a bed, dresser, couch, a table and chairs as well as many other things that made her feel comfortable,” she continues. “We also gave her a television and a digital antenna that could get 60-plus channels. She was so excited and said that she hadn’t had a TV in many years.”
Since August 2023, Murray and her helpers have changed the lives of 12 families.
“All of the clients are just so thankful,” she continues. “Many are speechless and so overwhelmed that they don’t know what to say. One single mom with three young children saw her bedroom and said, ‘I love my room so much! It feels so peaceful in here.’”
“Murray accepts their gratitude with humility and grace. “I always had an interest in interior design and decoration,” she explains. “This is just a way of channeling my hobby into something a little more meaningful.”
She feels fortunate that her family and friends have embraced her mission. Her 90-year-old father, a master carpenter who retired from Pitt after 30 years, helps to repair furniture while her mother sorts and labels bed linens. But Murray also wants her students to understand the value of giving back.
During the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers’ Society week of service this past November, approximately 20 AT students joined her in moving a family into their three-bedroom apartment. “The students were great,” notes Murray. “They unloaded the truck, unpacked boxes and decorated the whole apartment in about three hours! Several asked when they can help again.”
Lindsay Blakney, a first-year professional student in the Master of Science in Athletic Training program, heard about Murray’s mission during orientation. When the opportunity arose, she jumped at the chance to participate. While she cleaned, organized and set up a play kitchen for the children, she reminisced about her own childhood, playing for hours on end with her siblings in their little play kitchen.
AT students decorate children’s rooms during the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainersʼ Society week of service.
“I kept thinking about the joy that these girls would feel,” recalls Blakney. “Knowing that one hour of my day could be spent creating the same kind of happy memories for other little girls made me so grateful to be there.”
Murray has always liked to volunteer, but furnishing homes for families is her biggest undertaking to date. It comes with some logistical challenges and personal expenses.
“At first I stored things in our garage,” says Murray. “I was picking up items from church flea markets, scrolling through social media for free items and accepting donations from friends who were moving or downsizing. It soon became apparent that we needed a storage unit. Then a bigger one. And of course, we must rent a truck every time we make a delivery.”
Murray’s initiative continues to grow as family and friends spread the word and other members of the community hop on board.
Her spirit of giving is also taking root in the students who volunteered to help. “Helping to provide a home for someone who has been in a shelter is a form of health care,” explains Blakney. “We are addressing their determinants of health, providing them with safety and warmth and improving their mental health. As providers, I think it is important to be exposed to all of these different determinants of health in order to attempt to understand our patients, their goals and the best treatment for them.”
Before and After
Murray and her team transform bare walls into comfortable and welcoming spaces to give families a fresh start.
The before (top row) and after (bottom row) views of rooms that Murray and AT students worked to restore and redecorate.
