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Collins College Interior Design Students Volunteer at Flo’s on 7th Resale Shop to Help Raise Money for Florence Crittenton

Tempe, Arizona (June 12, 2007) – A Collins College interior design class has partnered with Flo’s on 7th resale shop in Phoenix to help merchandise donated items. Flo’s is part of Florence Crittenton, a non-profit organization serving at-risk girls ages 12 to 21 in Arizona. All proceeds from Flo’s on 7th support Florence Crittenton’s programs.

According to Heather Beaman-Laine, volunteer coordinator for Flo’s on 7th, “Flo’s receives a variety of high-quality donated household items, ranging from retro-to-western-to-modern. Key to more robust sales is creatively placing furniture and miscellaneous items in small tasteful vignettes that work well together. When we called Catherine Pliess, a Collins College interior design instructor, to see if they would help us merchandise our products into more marketable displays, she welcomed the opportunity.”

“Students have committed to weekly sessions helping us to better arrange items which, in turn, drives sales.” said Beaman-Laine. “This is a wonderful opportunity for our students and working in the store provides a real-world design experience. It also reinforces the importance of giving back to the community,” said Catherine Pliess, IDEC, ASID, IIDA, interior design instructor, Collins College.

“We are always in need of dedicated volunteers to work at Flo’s – they are critical to our success,” stated Beaman-Laine. The store currently averages 25 volunteers per week who perform a number of different activities. In addition to our community volunteers, we also have at-risk girls from Florence Crittenton programs volunteering their services.

To maintain and expand its current operations, Flo’s recently relocated to its new home on 7th Avenue. The new store has approximately 10,000 square-feet of floor space – enough room to incorporate a training facility which can be used for professional development, corporate training, or team building activities. Flo’s new location is situated between Indian School and Camelback which is home to a number of unique new and resale shops.

About Florence Crittenton
Florence Crittenton is a non-profit 501C(3) organization that has served the state's youth and their families for more than a century. We provide services, education and community-based programs to help children and teens overcome the issues of abuse, neglect, teen pregnancy or mental health problems. Florence Crittenton is the intersection where youth, ages 12 to 21, discover the support of a caring community and the possibility of a bright new future. Flo’s on 7th is located at 4116 N. 7th Ave. (just north of Indian School) in Phoenix, AZ. For more information on Flo’s on 7th call 602-254-7861 or visit www.floson7th.org.

About Collins College
Collins College, a school of design and technology, provides students with a career-focused education. Approximately 2,000 students from across the nation attend Collins College. Collins offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in game design, visual arts with a major in game art, graphic design, Graphic Design, interior design, film & video production, and a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology. For more information, visit www.collinscollege.edu.

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