Why did you decide to start Room Redux?
I have always had a heart for children and have believed they should have the best childhood experience possible. While I was a family advocate at a children’s advocacy center, I learned that although children who have faced sexual and physical abuse often receive therapy, they continue to be afraid or feel unsafe in their bedrooms. I started Room Redux in order to remove triggers in children’s rooms and completely transform their environment. By painting the room, providing new furniture, decor, and lighting, and even changing the positioning of the bed, children feel safe and cared about in their new sanctuary.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I love everything that Room Redux does. Room Transformation day is the best because we’re able to give children who have faced abuse a fresh start. Although we never have contact with the children, we receive amazing feedback from caregivers, and it confirms that what we’re doing is beneficial, healing, and life-changing for these children.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
I have two best pieces of advice. The first was given to me by my Daddy when I was 16. He told me to surround myself with positive people because negativity brings you down and gets you nowhere. The second is from a wall hanging in my office, which reads, “Create the thing you wish existed.” I’ve done both!
What would people be surprised to know about you?
I love to do all the things. I was Susie Homemaker for my son’s entire childhood. I have an Honorary Doctorate and am now a PsyD Doctoral Candidate and will be Dr. Suz by 2024. I sing and play tambourine in my band, Salubrious Fox, I’m an officiant, and I’m a nature-loving plant-based hippie at heart. I’m a graduate of the San Antonio FBI Citizens Academy, an ambassador for the Wave Trust 70/30 Initiative, an Advisory Council Member for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Texas, and a member of the MVP Taskforce. I was named the L’Oreal Paris Women of Worth 2022 National Honoree, which has been an amazing experience.
What’s your favorite thing to do for fun in San Antonio?
I grew up in Houston, and every summer, we came to San Antonio! We’ve lived in this area for 22 years, and I love to act like a tourist, finding new restaurants and boutiques or hopping on a Rio Cruise. My son played violin for YOSA for several years, so we love attending concerts. The Witte and the McNay are two of my choice museums, and I also love meandering through La Villita.
HQ: 2051 Bunker St., New Braunfels, TX
(We also have several chapters across the US and are filing in other countries)
830-214-3806 | www.RoomRedux.org
FB: Susie Vybiral; LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susievybiral/; IG: Susiepie
