“Having beds for my three children means they will have a safe place to sleep,” said a client of the Furniture Bank of Metro Atlanta, who wished to remain anonymous due to her circumstances. She came last Saturday to pick out furniture from the 1,800-square-foot warehouse that holds sofas, beds, coffee tables, dining tables and other house furnishings that are essential to making many houses into homes.
Started in 1988, the furniture bank is designed to help families who are moving out of homeless shelters, which also includes domestic violence shelters, into a place of their own. “Most of our clients have children and when they secure housing, most wind up sleeping and eating on the floor,” said Courtney Hodges, operations manager at the Furniture Bank of Metro Atlanta.
The bank guarantees a sofa and a mattress to each client, who is referred to the organization from 200 agencies. Then, with the help of volunteers, the clients get to “shop” for furnishings, while others stock and organize the warehouse or build dining tables—a project that is supplied and supported by The Home Depot Foundation. “[Today], volunteers made 12 dining room tables, loaded furniture for four families including 15 beds, and organized donations,”said Tami Rehmert, who volunteered through Project Live Love, an organization that mobilizes volunteerism through quarterly events around Atlanta.
Since the bank is donation-based, furniture supplies can never run too low. “We are always in need of dressers, coffee tables, end tables, but mostly, we need twin beds [to supply our families who have children],” said Hodges. “Furniture provides stability for our clients and by coming to the furniture bank, it starts a transition for our clients to live happy and full lives.”
To get involved with The Furniture Bank of Metro Atlanta, visit www.furniturbankatlanta.org.
CAPTIONS
1. Volunteer Quamain Ducheine helped build dining tables last Saturday at the Furniture Bank of Metro Atlanta, off of Howell Mill Rd., as a part of the project that is supplied by The Home Depot Foundation. In addition to working at the warehouse, volunteers can participate with the furniture bank by having off-site Linen Drives and Kitchen Kit Drives to supplement the families with other essential items. Devika Rao, doing.goodajc@gmail.com
2. Operations Manager Courtney Hodges (left) and intern Ashley Chisholm worked with clients who came last Saturday to the Furniture Bank of Metro Atlanta. The bank supports families who are moving out of homeless and domestic violence shelters by providing them essential furniture such as sofas and beds for their new homes. Devika Rao, doing.goodajc@gmail.com
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