Everything old can be new again
Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare - St. Joseph
Everyone can agree that having new furniture is exciting and creates warmth and a comfortable feeling. Used furniture can fulfill the same purpose when it’s new in the home of someone who has been without. The furniture bank is giving someone’s old furniture a new life.
Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare – St. Joseph recently donated gently used furniture to the Helping Homes Furniture Bank, a new business on Milwaukee’s northwest side. The organization collects donations of furniture and other home goods for distribution to less fortunate families, assisting them to create a true home environment. Ultimately, furniture bank’s goal is to help reduce the cycle of poverty, homelessness and hopelessness in our community. The tagline for the business is “Furnishing Hope,” which is more than just a slogan -- it’s the business’ mission.
At its core, Helping Homes also is a recycling effort that helps the environment, too. Furniture that is simply discarded can sit and contributes to our overflowing landfills. “Think about how much room a couch or mattress takes in a landfill, or how long a table takes to decompose. Why should any useable piece of furniture add to the environmental problems that society already faces?” said Brien Allen, owner of Helping Homes Furniture Bank.
The furniture bank looks for contributions for a variety of items. The motto is that if an item is intended for use as a home furnishing, it will be appreciated by not only the furniture bank, but also the individual who ultimately receives it.
The furniture contributions by St. Joseph are a reflection of the Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare mission and its Value of Stewardship: using human, financial and natural resources for the common good.