For the seventh consecutive year, HBG Design’s San Diego office partnered with Fred Finch Youth & Family Services as part of the firm’s annual Kirk Bobo Creating Impact (KBCI) initiative. Over the past several years, the San Diego team has supported Fred Finch through volunteer projects, fundraising efforts, and design initiatives focused on improving spaces for youth receiving behavioral and mental health support services in Southern California.
This year’s volunteer workdays focused on refreshing the interiors of two residential cottages at Fred Finch’s Dual Diagnosis Youth Center in Lemon Grove, California. Building upon the design concepts developed during the San Diego team’s 2025 KBCI project, the goal was to create brighter, calmer, and more welcoming environments for the youth who call these cottages home.
Over two volunteer workdays in May, 17 HBG employees dedicated their time to transforming the cottages by repainting the interiors a soft neutral selected to create a cohesive foundation for future improvements. The update replaced dark, bright-blue walls with a lighter palette intended to make the spaces feel larger, more peaceful, and more inviting.
The project marked the first phase of bringing last year’s selected design concept — “Creative Expression & Empowerment” — to life. Fred Finch had already begun implementing portions of the concept through donated flooring installed prior to the volunteer days, and future enhancements are already being discussed, including murals and interactive chalkboard doors.
The effort was made possible through a combination of donated materials and community support. Sherwin-Williams generously donated all paint used for the project, while additional supplies were purchased using funds raised and donated through HBG’s KBCI initiatives and through a long-standing grant from HBG’s charitable giving foundation.
The project also reflects the continued growth of a partnership that began in 2019, when HBG’s San Diego office first started supporting Fred Finch Youth & Family Services through volunteer efforts and annual HBGives donation drives. Since then, the relationship has evolved into an ongoing collaboration centered around creating environments that promote healing, comfort, and dignity for the youth served by the organization.
One particularly meaningful moment came during the second workday, when Fred Finch staff shared feedback from the residents themselves:
“The room already looks so much bigger and brighter!” — even before the final coats of paint were completed.
While the physical transformation was impactful, the project’s true significance lies in its purpose. Through KBCI, HBG employees continue to honor the legacy of co-founder Kirk Bobo by using design, service, and teamwork to create meaningful change in the communities where we live and work.
With future phases already in discussion, HBG’s San Diego office looks forward to continuing this partnership and helping create spaces that support healing, creativity, and dignity for years to come.