We were lucky to catch up with Stacy McAleer recently and have shared our conversation below.

Stacy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?

The Story Behind The Cavanagh House

The idea for The Cavanagh House came to me in the most unexpected way—over lunch with a perfect stranger. It was a moment that changed the course of my life and gave me clarity about what I was meant to do.

At the time, my daughter was struggling with a chronic illness while trying to attend college. Because she couldn’t drive and often needed help, I stayed close by in case she needed me. One afternoon, as I stopped to grab lunch, I noticed a man standing outside asking for food. Instead of just handing him something, I asked him if he wanted to join me. That wasn’t something I had ever done before, and I remember how oddly natural it felt—like asking a friend to lunch.

He seemed surprised but accepted. We spent two hours at a Subway just talking. During that conversation, I learned so much about him. What struck me most was how similar we were—both thoughtful, articulate, and educated. But there was one huge difference between us: I had a safety net. He did not.

This man had made some mistakes early in his adult life, and without a support system, he had no way to recover. He ended up on the streets and could not find a path back. That conversation opened my eyes to something I had always known but never truly understood: failure is a part of life. But for those without a safety net—family, resources, encouragement—it can be devastating.

Over the next several weeks, I could not stop thinking about that lunch. As a woman of faith, I believe that God reveals our paths in quiet, sometimes surprising ways. That lunch was my moment. That man—his story, his struggle—planted a seed that I could not ignore.

With the help of my dad and someone from the city who worked closely with the unhoused community, I decided to take my skill as a sewer and combine it with my passion for helping others. For the next two years, I poured everything I had into raising money and awareness. I sold home décor items I had sewn at craft shows, shared the story of that lunch, and watched as one door after another opened.

At first, I planned to teach sewing. I wasn’t an upholsterer—I didn’t even know how to upholster furniture. But one day at a craft show, someone I knew stopped by and asked about the project. After I explained it all, she said, “You need to talk to my husband.”

That conversation turned into something much bigger than I could have imagined. Her husband, Alan Ibello, and his 92-year-old father, Paul, ran Ibello Upholstery, a multigenerational family business and one of the largest upholstery companies in Baltimore. Before I could even reach out to him, Alan called me and offered to help. He and his father volunteered to teach upholstery in our small Reisterstown workroom two days a week. It was a gift I had not asked for—but it changed everything.

When it came time to choose a name and a location, I thought of my Aunt Linda Cavanagh. At that same time, I was helping my family clean out her home after she had moved into assisted living due to dementia. She had been an extraordinary early childhood educator, with a deep belief that every child could learn—especially those who were often overlooked.

While sorting through her belongings, I found letter after letter from parents thanking her for believing in their children. Her legacy of teaching with love, patience, and hope inspired me deeply. I decided to buy her home, transform it into our workroom and learning space, and name it The Cavanagh House in her honor. It felt like the perfect way to carry on her legacy of faith in human potential.

We officially opened The Cavanagh House just five months before COVID hit. Like many others, we were faced with challenges we never expected. But somehow—through prayer, community support, and unwavering purpose—we made it through.

It’s been seven and a half years since that lunch at Subway. Every day since, I have felt God guiding this journey. The road has not always been smooth, but it has been full of meaning, growth, and grace. In that time, The Cavanagh House has grown to two locations, expanding our ability to serve and teach even more students. Our upholstery workroom was honored with a Reader’s Choice Award from The Baltimore Sun, placing in the top five for best upholstery/sewing workrooms in the area. The Cavanagh House is more than a workroom—it is a place where people get second chances, where failure is met with support, and where skills become stepping stones to a new beginning.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

What The Cavanagh House Does and Who We Serve

The Cavanagh House is a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming lives through hands-on skill-building in the trades of upholstery and sewing. We offer workforce training programs designed to empower individuals who are striving to achieve financial independence—many of whom are navigating challenging life circumstances such as poverty, housing insecurity, or the long-term effects of systemic barriers.

Our primary mission is to provide a path to financial stability for individuals in need. We believe that economic empowerment begins with opportunity—specifically, the opportunity to learn a valuable skill, develop confidence, and earn a dignified wage. Through our programs, students receive direct training in upholstery and sewing while being paid for their time in the workroom. This not only helps them build a professional foundation but also ensures that they are able to support themselves while learning. We focus on real-world experience, offering students the chance to work on commissioned projects that require collaboration, problem-solving, and creativity.

At the same time, our secondary mission is to help revitalize the upholstery and sewing industries. These trades have seen a significant decline in recent decades, resulting in a shortage of skilled labor across the country. By training the next generation of upholsterers and sewers, The Cavanagh House serves as a feeder program for these industries—connecting students with small businesses, mentors, and employment opportunities that rely on skilled craftsmanship. Our curriculum is designed with industry standards in mind, and we regularly collaborate with established professionals to ensure students are gaining relevant, high-quality experience.

What sets The Cavanagh House apart is the personal care we give to each student. We understand that success looks different for everyone, and we meet people where they are. Whether someone is rebuilding after a setback or simply in need of direction and support, we offer not just a training program—but a community of encouragement, structure, and purpose.

Since opening, we’ve seen lives transformed not just through technical training, but through the restoration of confidence, discipline, and self-worth. Our workrooms are more than classrooms—they are spaces of healing, growth, and second chances.

Through our dual mission of economic empowerment and industry revitalization, The Cavanagh House is building a bridge between need and opportunity, tradition and innovation, individual success and community strength.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding part of this work at The Cavanagh House is witnessing the incredible growth in our students, both personally and professionally. We introduce individuals to the art of upholstery and sewing, but what happens goes far beyond learning a trade.

Our students come from extremely diverse backgrounds, but all share a common thread: life has not been easy. They have faced significant financial instability and have known moments of hopelessness and despair. For many, feelings like hope, pride, dignity, and confidence are unfamiliar—sometimes even unimaginable.

Through our programs, students not only gain practical, life-changing skills that can lead to financially stable careers, but they also begin to believe in themselves again. Watching someone succeed—sometimes for the very first time—is deeply moving. Seeing the pride on their faces when a client praises their work or hearing them talk about a future they are genuinely excited about is nothing short of a gift.

To be part of that transformation, to know that you are helping someone reclaim their sense of purpose and possibility—that’s incredibly rewarding.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

At The Cavanagh House, our upholstery and sewing programs are run like a professional workroom from day one. Our students receive hands-on training on real client projects, which not only prepares them for careers in the industry but also creates an authentic and dynamic environment for our clients.

We are an extremely busy workroom, averaging 8–10 project requests per week—of which 98% become committed clients. Unlike most workrooms that primarily serve interior designers, our clients are everyday people: husbands, wives, young singles, and couples. Half of them find us through referrals, and the other half through online searches, which speaks to both the strength of our community and our digital presence.

While our pricing is competitive with other workrooms in the area, what truly sets us apart is our mission and the relationships that develop between our students and the clients they serve. Clients are drawn to the idea that they are not just commissioning a service—they are playing a meaningful role in someone’s career journey.

We keep our clients engaged throughout the process by sharing photos of their pieces in progress and introducing them to the student working on their project. Whether they are dropping off or picking up, clients often meet the student behind the work, and that personal connection creates a lasting impact. Many send words of encouragement and later, words of praise—something that builds our students’ confidence in immeasurable ways.

We also share finished pieces on social media, featuring the student who worked on them. The supportive, enthusiastic responses from followers add another layer of positivity and motivation for our students. It’s no surprise that many of our clients return again and again—not only because they are impressed with the quality of the workmanship, but because the whole experience feels good. That kind of energy is contagious.

In fact, the love our clients have for our workroom led to an unexpected honor—we were named one of the winners of the Baltimore Sun’s Readers’ Choice Award for Upholstery/Sewing Workrooms in 2024. We didn’t even know we were nominated until we got the call!

By making our clients feel like true partners in our students’ journey, we don’t just build a business—we build a community. That connection is the heart of our brand, and it is what keeps people coming back.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thecavanaghhouse.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecavanaghhouse
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecavanaghhouse/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacy-mcaleer-15823a176/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thecavanaghhouse