Lisa A. Edwards and her dog, Skipper Doodle, serve as the face of a small company with a big mission. Tiles for Hope functions under the umbrella of Lifestyle to Independence, of which Lisa is the sole proprietor. As with many passionate people, Lisa’s story is filled with trials and tribulations which make her mission all the more clear. In the first stages of her life, Lisa faced the loss of her home, multiple cars, and even her son in a custody battle at the age of five to the hands of her abusive ex-husband.
On top of it all, Lisa is a survivor of domestic violence and is well aware of the hamster wheel of domestic violence shelters. Single women in these shelters are often taken in, and really only provided housing, until they are churned out with no more than what they came into the shelter with in the first place. Knowing this, Lisa was inspired to help women just like her up to build a sustainable future. She began by using her voice to inspire others at public speaking events. Her main purpose was to educate other domestic violence survivors in emotional, spiritual, and financial stability.
Lisa managed to purchase her first home in Newburgh, NY while only making $26,000 a year. Just being in a place of stability after being in a state of limbo for so long made Lisa feel richer than money ever could. She knew that anything she did next would be to help people in the position she rose from have this feeling of independence. She felt it was her duty to support them.
In 2016, she purchased a somewhat dilapidated home three doors down from her own in the historic district of Newburgh, NY. She hoped that one day it could serve as a transformative home for single female domestic abuse victims and war veterans to get on their feet. In clearing the home, she was left to remove lots of debris and construction materials. She could get everything in a dumpster but was left with a mountain of bathroom and kitchen tile that would cost her an arm and a leg to have removed. Lisa’s entrepreneurial and innovative nature kicked in and told her to turn the “trash to cash”.
Pictured above, Tiles for Hope serve as decorative plaques or purposeful trays whose profits go towards the development of the home in Newburgh that Lisa is renovating to serve women in need. A tile represents 1 square foot in the home and will be sold at a price that reflects the renovation costs per square foot. The intention of the tile is to serve as a plaque for the donation of funds that are allocated to the completion of refinishing the Newburgh home.
Currently, Lisa makes every Tile for Hope by hand in a workshop she crafted in the basement of her home. Her and Skipper work together to pair each tile with the right hardware As seen in the video below, her manufacturing process is simple but tedious and requires a careful hand and precise measurements to make every tile to Lisa’s standard.
The plans for the home entail a complete gut and rebuild from the bottom up. The layout could be compared to dorm-style except with the feel of a real home. This is an important element for this transformative housing plan. The women-in-need who would be occupying this space need a warm and welcoming environment in order to get the most from the coaching they are offered. The design plans also include a unique theme for each floor of the home that Lisa worked on with Elizabeth Vega Lebron. Elizabeth Vega Lebron created the digital 3-dimensional drawing from the architectural plans which helped to bring the finished product to life.
Lisa Edwards wears many hats and juggles them all seamlessly. The proprietor of Tiles for Hope is also a member of Toastmasters International, a non-profit organization that teaches public speaking and leadership, and is an Independent Certified Speaker, Teacher, and Coach with the John Maxwell Team. She accredits much of her success to her mentors and to her faith which guided her through the healing process.
“With purpose, passion, and unwavering dedication, I set out on a path to be a person of service and influence to others, and live a life of significance. I realize there isn’t any avenue for survivors of domestic violence and it is difficult for single female veterans to find safe affordable housing and an opportunity to heal. So, the best way I can help is to lead the way…”
Lisa A. Edwards
Tiles for Hope is just getting started. MTEC will follow Lisa through her journey and spread her message, as awareness of a cause is the first step to making a change. Stay tuned to our social channels and newsletter for updates on the story. For more information or to learn how you might be able to help Lisa and Skipper Doodle lead the way, email info@hvtdc.org.
