On January 17th, 2003, Lisa Lepkofker, her husband, Gary, and their then-almost two-year-old daughter Gianna left all they knew behind in Florida and moved to Georgia, as Gary was offered a job relocation for Coca-Cola. This opened a door to a new part of their lives. Lisa found Edinburgh and came to love the neighbourhood for its safety features, such as being a gated community, and its future in a new home.

Now Lisa has many close-knit relationships with those living around her. Lisa and her family have lived in several houses in the neighbourhood and have made amazing friends and memories over the years. In 2008, Lisa and Gary happily welcomed twin baby girls, Francesca and Angelica, who are now 17 and soon to be seniors at North Gwinnett High School. Edinburgh became the foundation for Lisa to make a new life and flourish. 

Little did Lisa know that on the same day that she moved from Florida, her future best friend and partner would be moving to Georgia from Germany! Stephanie Engelerdt moved back to the states, with her almost two-year-old son Jimmy and Husband Jim. The two met through Collins Hills tennis club, hitting it off over how they both had transitioned to Georgia, had children the same age, and their husbands shared a love of rock music.

Over time, the families grew close, spending holidays together, playing tennis, raising their children, going on family vacations, and doing everything in between. Lisa and Stephanie became like family to each other. Sharing every part of their lives, including their homes. Stephanie can recall every home in Edinburgh that Lisa has lived in, decorated, and shared with those she loves. The neighbourhood is a foundation for what they share as friends.

Flash forward to 2019. The two are working full time, raising teenagers, and trying to figure out their next step in life. Stephanie found herself awake very early one morning and was scrolling through her phone when an article popped up that she became very interested in. The article described a non-profit organization that helped children who had been through traumatic experiences. The name of this amazing organization was Room Redux.

Room Redux was founded in New Braunfels, Texas, and is a nonprofit founded on healing children who have suffered. Their mission is to transform the bedrooms of children from toddlers to teenagers who have been victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault. Studies have shown that most traumatic incidents involving abuse or violence towards children have happened in the bedroom. Room Redux’s goal is to remove the traumatic association the child has with their bedroom.

Room Redux now has twelve chapters nationwide. One of those first chapters was started by Lisa and Stephanie. When Stephanie brought the idea to her family, they called her crazy and said that this was not the time for her to start something new. But Lisa was right alongside her from the very first moment. Now the two work together and are making massive waves in growth with the non-profit and changing lives.

Every detail goes into creating this space for a child: new paint, furniture, carpeting, everything you could need to bring hope to a space. The most rewarding part for these two and their team is for a child to now feel that they own their space, that their room is truly theirs. The team does not normally meet the child but has had the opportunity to hear from a child’s mother and gain a testimonial. 

 “To Stephanie, Lisa, and the crew:  words just aren’t enough. My mom came earlier before I could see, and she cried so much to see how beautiful you all are to have done this for the girls. In the middle of this terrible season in life, you guys exist and made a sad moment incredibly happy. Lisa and Stephanie, I know you both were visionaries and took care of every single detail.”

This mother continues to express her gratitude for the two women, sharing how she feels more comfortable in her own home, as do her children. Lisa and Stephanie excel at bringing life and light to a broken space. They will never stop, as they know how important the work they do is. They will continue to share their mission and save lives.

As Room Redux is a non-profit, its only funding comes from its own pockets, donations, or volunteer work. In February of this year, the team created a new form of funding that changed everything for them. This was its Lady in Red Gala held at Bear’s Best! This gala raised $45,000 for the non-profit to purchase materials and create new projects. The Gala will become annual, continuing in February of 2026. 

Stephanie and Lisa always carry one thing with them in everything they do: their love. They continue the work of Room Redux because they love their community and creating safe spaces for everyone they meet. Even with setbacks, they will stop at nothing to heal every victim in the state of Georgia and to change the narrative of a child’s story for the better. They will do it one transformation at a time.