Rebecca Margao owns Capitol Hill furniture and met Phil Colbert through Pathways to Housing DC. She offered to help make his new place feel more like home.

WASHINGTON — Instead of selling household items, The Shed DC was collecting them Sunday.

Rebecca Margao owns the Capitol Hill furniture shop and connected with Phil Colbert through Pathways to Housing DC as he was transitioning from homelessness. She offered to help to make his new apartment feel more like a home.



“He's been waiting on furniture for months prior to me meeting him so he just thought it was never going to happen,” said Margao, “he only had a roll away bed in his home.”

Margao is not only giving Colbert a home makeover but thanks to the community she is giving him everything else he needs to start over.



“Just being able to gift somebody not only a home makeover but a do-over for life!” she exclaimed with satisfaction.



Friends and customers stopped by the shop with items from kitchenware, to microwave, to clothes, to food.

“I think it's awesome that people have a giving heart and still care about people in our communities,” said one woman. “They always say when you do good you feel good,” added another customer.



“He (Colbert) actually said something very monumental that stuck with me throughout the whole project,” explained Margao, “you have the beginning and then the celebration but in between you have tribulation and so because he’s in that space it’s hard for you to see the other side. So, my job is not only to give him a makeover but show him the community is really behind him for him to get to that celebration. So, I'm just joyous to see his reaction on Tuesday!”

The big reveal is Tuesday, after Margao and her team renovate and add the finishes touches to his home.