LI Woman, Down Syndrome Advocate, Gets Reality TV Home Upgrade

LONG ISLAND, NY — NBC's feel-good home improvement show "George to the Rescue" host George Oliphant thought he was done with reality television a long time ago. But while working on an earlier home improvement series and dealing with his son's blood disorder, he had the idea to renovate the waiting room of St. Joseph's Children Hospital in Paterson, NJ. He realized he couldn't cure the ills of the world, but he could use his skills to make the spaces others used brighter.

The concept for a new show was born, and 13 seasons later "George to the Rescue" often travels to Long Island to find deserving individuals and groups that can use a space makeover.

Saturday's season premiere episode featured Brittany Schiavone, who founded Brittany's Baskets of Hope, a nonprofit she's been running out of her Huntington home basement that delivers care packages to the families of newborns born with Down syndrome.

Schiavone has delivered over 1,200 baskets, in-person if possible, to help send a message of support and hope.

Oliphant told Patch that the goal of the show is to make the spaces work better for the recipients and "take one thing off their plate."

"Brittany is going to continue to pack these boxes—she's been doing it for a long time and she wants to know those families have an angel among them arriving. They are told I'm sorry instead of congratulations. She wants to make sure people are informed and have a support system."

"It's this amazing care package she was doing it in a raw basement, it was hot, cold, dusty—that was the space she had and we said we can do more."

The full episode is available here.

Schiavone's new basement workspace got an aesthetic upgrade, workspaces for her social media work, packing work, allowing her and her volunteers to get the baskets out to the families sooner.

Oliphant said that for years the television industry thought viewers didn't want to see stories about people doing good in the world and making a difference.

"We try to make it entertaining and meaningful at the same time and now it's in vogue. I can't cure cancer, I can't make someone walk again but I can make your home fit your life."