All for our kids: Community groups host bedding drives for families

SPRING/

SUMMER

2019

www.furniture-bank.org • 248-332-1300

Providing beds and essential home

furniture to children and families in need

All for our kids: Community groups

host bedding drives for families

Beds and essential

furniture help 1,717

families in need in 2018

Our goal is to be sure that every family

in Metro Detroit lives in a properly

furnished home; that every child gets

a healthy start in life by sleeping in a

warm bed or crib; and that all useable

furniture helps those who are most

vulnerable to live with dignity.

In 2018, we served 1,717 families

(5,846 individuals). Of those, 1,064

children were under age 4, 1,219 were

between the ages of 5-14 and 323

were teens.

Additional 2018 highlights:

• Items valued at $619,706 were

provided to our families including:

1,825 mattresses, 1,635 box

springs, 1,177 dressers, 535 dining

tables, 2,162 dining chairs, 975

sofas, 1,336 other living room

furniture and 3,654 non-furniture

household items.

• The Furniture Bank serves those in

extreme poverty. Sixty-nine percent

reported earning less than $10,000

and 88 percent had household

incomes below $20,000.

• Some 2,892 residents of Metro

Detroit donated furniture to the

Furniture Bank and 387 families

received no- or low-cost deliveries

of furniture in conjunction with our

nonprot partners.

• In our newest region of Wayne

County, 215 families received 2,526

items of furniture. We continue to

grow our efforts in this geographic

area.

Each family helped by the Furniture Bank has a unique story to tell. Read a recent

Macomb Daily article about Cinnamon Newell of Warren, a mother who went from being

homeless with her 5-year-old son to a furnished home in Warren thanks to the Furniture

Bank and its donors. Find the story here: http://bit.ly/MacombDFBSEM2019

Continued on page 2

One of our biggest

volunteer efforts is our

“Bedding for Kids”program,

where our core group of

volunteers (headed by

Tami Jelinek) coordinate

bedding drives throughout

the area. This ensures that

all children receiving a bed

also get a coordinated set

of bedding selected and

personalized for each child

in colors and styles that

they love.

In 2018, 734 children

received twin beds with

new bedding, 89 were

provided cribs, 91 got

portable cribs and 62

children received toddler beds.

Individual donations are welcome

at our Pontiac ofce. We also

rely heavily on community groups

that assist us throughout the year

to collect new bedding sets that

are given to each child receiving

a bed. The Furniture Bank also

keeps an ongoing “Bedding for

Kids” fund for monetary donations

which are always welcome.

We are grateful to members

of Northbrook Presbyterian

Church in Beverly Hills who hosted

a bedding drive in February for Furniture

Bank kids (donations pictured at right).

Their efforts provided at least two dozen

bedding sets. This is one of many

community outreach projects taken on

by church members. We appreciate the

help for our families!

Spring/Summer 2019

Providing beds and essential home

furniture to children and families in need

A big thank you to staff members at the Rochester Junior Women’s Club which

hosted a February bedding drive for our kids! Pictured here (from left) are: Executive

Director Rob Boyle, “Bedding for Kids” Lead Volunteer Tami Jelinek and RJWC

President Mary Anderson showing the collected bedding that went home with local

boys and girls receiving beds. It’s our goal to have EVERY child who gets a bed from

us to also receive new bedding, personalized and labeled with their name on it.

Our good friends at Main Street Bank

wrapped up a Furniture Bank Holiday

Bedding Drive in mid-December.

Main Street staff collected dozens of

items including sheets, blankets and

comforters, all of which were given to

local kids who receive beds from us.

Main Street also made a generous

contribution to our “Beds for Kids” fund.

And we can’t thank them enough!

Furniture Bank

celebrates

50th year

of service

in 2019

The Furniture Bank of Southeastern

Michigan was founded in 1968 by a

network of Birmingham and Bloomeld

area volunteers and churches,

incorporating as an organization in July

1969. It is the oldest furniture bank

in North America, helping more than

65,000 families since its inception,

evolving over time into an organization

of caring professionals committed to

helping local families in need.

“When we started, it was the case

of someone needing a sofa, another

person having one to donate and the

basic concept of ‘we’ll get it over to

them’,” explained Executive Director

Robert Boyle. “They were very

community focused and that remains

one of our core values.”

The Furniture Bank was exclusively a

volunteer organization through 1995

before its rst staff members were hired.

The organization rst served Oakland

County, expanded services to Macomb

County in 2007 and then into Wayne

County (including the city of Detroit) in

2015.

Our heartfelt thanks go to all of our

volunteers, board members and

the many donors who provide both

monetary and furniture donations

throughout each year. We couldn’t do it

without you!

Community Groups host bedding drives for families

(continued from page 1)

Design consultants Scott Douglass and

Connie Meconi of RJ Thomas pose with

the many sets of bedding collected at

their showroom, located in the Michigan

Design Center in Troy. They started in

mid-December, extending their bedding

drive through early March so they could

donate as many sets as possible for

children in need. We are so appreciative

of their efforts. Thank you!

Would you, your company

or your local civic group or

church like to host a drive

of your own?

or make a donation by emailing us

[email protected]

One of many trucks used by the

Furniture Bank in its early years to help

children and families in need.

Spring/Summer 2019

Providing beds and essential home

furniture to children and families in need

he Furniture Bank

has

a “Beds for

Kids”

program

that accepts

gently-used twin beds

or purchases new ones

with a donation of $100 so

a local child will no longer

have to sleep on the floor.

Tax-deductible donations

(beds or money) can be

made at www.furniture-

bank.org/beds-for-kids.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Join us for wine, cards, comedy or let your artistic side show

The Furniture Bank provides beds and essential home furniture to children and families in need, through earned income, grants,

donations and fundraisers such as the following upcoming events. Visit our website for details about tickets and various levels of

sponsorships: https://www.furniture-bank.org/events/

Saturday, May 4, 2019:

Fine wine, hors d’oeuvres

and a taste of history

Presented by

Our 4th Annual Wine Tasting and Tour will

take place at the Historic Guardian Building

in downtown Detroit. Join us for our annual

gala which includes wine tasting, cocktails,

hors d’oeuvres and architectural tours of this

historic Detroit landmark. The evening also

includes a live auction. Proceeds support

our mission, which includes purchasing beds

for children and helping to furnish homes for

local families in need. Last year, 200 guests

and supporters

attended, raising

$78,000 for Furniture

Bank programs. Visit

http://bit.ly/Wine2019

to purchase tickets at

$60 each or for more

information about

sponsorships.

Saturday, May 18, 2019:

Enjoy cards? We’ve got a

fun night in store for you

Presented by

Join the fun at our 7th Annual Euchre Party

& Game Night at Kilgour Scottish Centre

in Troy. Spend the evening with dozens of

game-loving friends for a fabulous evening

of cards and board games. Nearly $5,000

was raised toward our mission in our last

game night event. Registration/dinner starts

at 6 p.m. (pizza and salad) with games

commencing from 7-11 p.m. (Euchre will

have eight timed rounds). The event includes

a cash bar, 50/50 rafe, cash prizes and

the popular booze basket rafe. Tickets are

now available on our website (http://bit.ly/

Euchre2019) for $35 each or $45 each at the

door.

Thursday, October 17, 2019:

Presented by

Plans are well under way for our 10th

Annual Comedy Night at Mark Ridley’s

Comedy Castle in Royal Oak. The

evening of laughter and fun begins at 6

p.m. with a return performance by Paul

Mercurio who appeared at this event in

2015. Mercurio is a frequent visitor to

“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,”

is an Emmy and Peabody award winner

and appears as a commentator on

“CBS Sunday Morning” and other news

networks. Tickets are $50 each and will

be available in early Fall 2019. Check

back for more information: http://bit.ly/

ComedyNight2019

Wednesday, January 15, 2020:

Bring out your

inner artist

Presented by

Save the date for our 4th Annual Painting with a Purpose in

Rochester. This popular event will be from 7-9 p.m. at Painting with a

Twist Rochester Hills, located at 3320 S. Rochester Road, just north

of M-59. Cost is $35 per person, with 50 percent of proceeds returned

to the Furniture Bank as a donation. This past

January, 35 supporters sipped wine and let

their creative sides show, raising $650 toward

our mission of helping children and families in

need in the region. The money raised went to

our “Furniture for Families” fund, which allows

us to serve close to 1,900 families each year.

Registration will be available soon at http://

bit.ly/PWAP2020

Spring/Summer 2019

333 NORTH PERRY STREET

PONTIAC, MICHIGAN 48342

Providing beds and essential home

furniture to children and families in need

CALL

US AT

248-332-1300

or visit furniture-bank.org to

donate gently-used furniture.

Ask about our FREE pickups

or take advantage of our

“We’ll Take It Out for You”

service for only $20.

Essential items needed:

Maresses and/or box springs

of all sizes

Kitchen/Dining Room table/chair

sets (at least 2 chairs)

Dressers & Nightstands

Sofas & Loveseats

Living Room Chairs & Recliners

Coee Tables & End Tables

The Furniture Bank of Southeastern Michigan (FBSEM) has a mission to provide

beds and essential home furniture to children and families in need.

One of more than 120 independently operated furniture banks throughout North

America, FBSEM receives referrals from a network of more than 70 local health

and human service agencies and has provided furniture to more than 65,000

families since its inception. This year, we are on target to provide 1,700 local

families with more than 15,000 items of furniture and other housewares.

details: www.furniture-bank.org