Your Used Furniture Still Has Value to People in Need

Leaving unwanted furniture outside on the street in a bid to offload them is certainly a questionable way to get rid of them.

18:28 27 January 2019

No matter whether you are moving to another place, replacing all the furniture in your house, downsizing or cleaning, you are definitely going to have a number of things that are of no use to you, but you don’t quite know how to get rid of them.

I’m sure a lot of these things might be in good condition, meaning they don’t need to get put in the garbage pile of your apartment or left outside on street. Selling them off to a thrift shop is something worth considering but what if I tell you there is better alternative? A chance to make a difference in your community, maybe.

If you have gently used furnishings that are in fine condition, you can consider donating it to furniture bank and support their cause. These non profit organizations work towards making sure all families in the community live in decently furnished homes.

Many furniture banks accept donation of unused furniture for their stores with a goal to help furnish homes of low income families. Proceeds from all the sales go toward managing the overhead of the organization mainly showroom costs, salary for staff etc.

These furniture banks, usually on a referral-only basis, help people in need. They identify needy individuals and families and pass the donated items to them at a subsidized price.

And how these furniture banks provide this service is quite brilliant.

They invite people to visit their stores and treat them with respect while they check out the furniture there. Some furniture banks even go out of their way to help people pick out the right furniture that fits their requirements in terms of storage space etc. Their delivery team then drops their stuff off at their place for a subsidized fee which usually ranges anywhere between $100 and $200.

By making a donation to any furniture bank, you would be able to put a smile on the faces of people in need, who come here enthusiastically with keys to a bare apartment and a hope to outfit their homes with good quality furniture.

Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization on a mission to serve needy families with respect and dignity. It is more than happy to accept donations of gently used furniture in good, resalable condition without any rips or stains. It’s quite simple to donate used furniture to them. Gather all the things you’d like to give away, take photos of them and schedule a free pickup at a convenient time for you. After your things get picked up, they will be up for sale at the Restore unit and the proceeds will go towards a good cause: building affordable homes in the community for all those deserving people from hard-working, low-income families that desperately need financial assistance. When you donate your used furniture to them, you will be given tax receipts acknowledging the value of the donation you made.

People who are interested in donating to Habitat for Humanity should check them out at https://habitathm.ca/donate-furniture-habitat/. Remember the non profit is quite selective about what they take so give their list of accepted items a good look before reaching out to them.