2015 By the Numbers 1,454 families, or 4,800 individuals in total served (75% have household incomes of $10,000 or less) 2,000 individual and corporate donors of furniture 10,400 items of furniture valued at $585,000 repurposed into client homes THESE INCLUDED: 1,768 mattresses 1,462 box springs • 982 dressers 918 sofas • 460 dining tables and 1,885 dining chairs • Hundreds of living room chairs, tables, nightstands and other needed items to families in need 662 children age four and under and 853 children between the ages of 5 and 14 served 56 new portable cribs, along with information on safe, healthy sleep, were provided to at-risk families with newborns SUMMER 2016 VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME The Furniture Bank has a variety of engaging opportunities that include working with families we serve, assisting with our fundraisers or serving on our board of directors. For information on these opportunities, call 248-332-1300 x200 or e-mail [email protected]www.furniture-bank.org • 248-332-1300 Providing beds and essential home furniture to children and families in need Erica Young on her new sofa provided by the Furniture Bank of Southeastern Michigan. Furniture Bank helps furnish new apartment for mom and 9-month-old daughter Local nonprofit on target to serve 1,500 families in 2016 When Erica Young found herself starting over recently with her 9-month- old daughter, Amariyah, she needed everything in the way of furniture. They had recently lived in a shelter and finally landed in a new apartment in Shelby Township, where they are settling in nicely. As she sought help, Erica was referred to the Furniture Bank of Southeastern Michigan. The Pontiac-based nonprofit was able to get Erica help quickly, providing a sofa, bed, dresser and dining room table for their new apartment. “They literally got me everything,” she said. “I definitely would recommend them to anybody who needs help.” Erica said she arrived at the Furniture Bank to select and pick up her furniture. “The person who helped me was awesome,” she said. She said especially appreciates Amy Fulbright, the Furniture Bank’s program coordinator who worked closely with Erica to coordinate her visit. Erica is one of the hundreds of families and individuals served each year through its Furniture for Families Program. Through the end of May, the Furniture Bank has served 630 families – or more than 2,500 individuals in total – with 5,200 items, putting the organization on target to provide 1,500 families with 12,000 items in 2016. “We want to be able to get our clients the furniture they need as quickly as possible,” said executive director Robert Boyle. “Erica had an immediate need due to her situation, and we are so happy we’re able to help her.”
Transcript
2015 By the Numbers
1,454 families, or 4,800 individuals in total served
(75% have household incomes of $10,000 or less)
2,000 individual and corporate donors of furniture
10,400 items of furniture valued at $585,000
repurposed into client homes
THESE INCLUDED: 1,768 mattresses 1,462 box springs • 982 dressers 918 sofas • 460 dining tables and 1,885 dining chairs • Hundreds of
living room chairs, tables, nightstands and other needed
items to families in need
662 children age four and under and 853 children between the
ages of 5 and 14 served
56 new portable cribs, along with information on safe, healthy sleep, were provided to at-risk families with newborns
SUMMER 2016
VOLUNTEER YOUR TIMEThe Furniture Bank has a variety of engaging opportunities that include working with families we serve, assisting with our fundraisers or serving
on our board of directors. For information on these opportunities,
Providing beds and essential home furniture to children and families in need
Erica Young on her new sofa provided by the Furniture Bank of Southeastern Michigan.
Furniture Bank helps furnish new apartment for mom and 9-month-old daughter
Local nonprofit on target to serve 1,500 families in 2016When Erica Young found herself starting over recently with her 9-month-old daughter, Amariyah, she needed everything in the way of furniture. They had recently lived in a shelter and finally landed in a new apartment in Shelby Township, where they are settling in nicely. As she sought help, Erica was referred to the Furniture Bank of Southeastern Michigan. The Pontiac-based nonprofit was able to get Erica help quickly, providing a sofa, bed, dresser and dining room table for their new apartment.
“They literally got me everything,” she said. “I definitely would recommend them to anybody who needs help.”
Erica said she arrived at the Furniture Bank to select and pick up her furniture. “The person who helped me was awesome,” she said. She said especially appreciates Amy Fulbright, the Furniture Bank’s program coordinator who worked closely with Erica to coordinate her visit.
Erica is one of the hundreds of families and individuals served each year through its Furniture for Families
Program. Through the end of May, the Furniture Bank has served 630 families – or more than 2,500 individuals in total – with 5,200 items, putting the organization on target to provide 1,500 families with 12,000 items in 2016.
“We want to be able to get our clients the furniture they need as quickly as possible,” said executive director Robert Boyle. “Erica had an immediate need due to her situation, and we are so happy we’re able to help her.”
SUMMER 2016 2Providing beds and essential home furniture to children and families in need
definitely go that extra step,” he said.
Phil Sr. is pleased to see how well the new warehouse setup is working, allowing clients to come and select their furniture in a showroom-style setting on Perry Street. “The Furniture Bank is a great thing,” he added. “Times are hard. People need more places like this – it’s a starting point for so many. They come in and it’s open arms here.”
Furniture Bank expands pick-ups, media partnershipsMore and more people are hearing about The Furniture Bank through word-of-mouth efforts, expanded pickup areas and – in the news!
They have recently been featured in the Grosse Pointe News and C&G Newspapers. Fox2 TV also visited the Pontiac nonprofit to interview staff and clients. Furniture Bank executive director Robert Boyle has also been making radio appearances to spread the word.
Area communities and groups have hosted linen and bedding events and the Furniture Bank works regularly with area furniture giant and partner Art Van in addition to hotels and country clubs. If you have furniture to donate – or know of a group that does – call the Furniture Bank at 248-332-1300 or visit furniture-bank.org!
Like us on Facebook!Boyle said the small-but-mighty staff is also using social media, posting regularly to let specific communities know when the Furniture Bank truck will be in the area.
“It’s about using every opportunity to remind people that we want their furniture,” Boyle said. “The more furniture people donate, the more families we can help.”
With additional warehouse space and a second truck, they will have served their first 100 families Detroit and Wayne County … over and above the 1,400-plus families in Oakland and Macomb.
New website will bring mobile-friendly surfingA newly designed website, great for internet visitors using mobile or tablet, will make its debut in 2016. The site will be more visually pleasing and allow users greater ease of navigation to donate furniture. The site is expected to launch in early fall.Visit www.furniture-bank.org to check on our progress.
When longtime Furniture Bank driver Dave Belisle visits homes in Southeast Michigan to pick up donated pieces, he doesn’t need to look far for his closest assist and backup. Albert Bradberry, his nephew, rides shotgun as the duo makes the rounds picking up items from generous donors.
“We pick up 6 days a week,” explained Albert, who came to the Furniture Bank in 2011. “If there’s anything we can use, we take it.” He notes that donated furniture must be something another family can use, and must be in decent shape. “If I wouldn’t sit on it, or use it, we won’t take it,” he added. “We want our families to feel good about the furniture they’re receiving.”
But the family connection doesn’t stop there. Phil Bradberry, Dave’s brother and Albert’s dad, runs the Furniture Bank warehouse and makes deliveries to client homes with yet another son, Phil Jr.
This dedicated clan says they enjoy working together, but that working at the Furniture Bank is like working for family. All had professional moving experience before coming to the nonprofit – about 80 years of experience between the Belisle-Bradberry bunch.
With 9 years on the job, Phil Sr. said he loves the experience. “It’s great. Not a lot of dads get to spend time with their kids,” he said. “They’re reliable and dependable as they do their job.”
Dave says he and Albert have done up to 14 furniture pickups in a day, but an average day is usually 8-12 stops. The crew does about 2,000 pickups in any given year.
“We are one big happy family,” adds Dave, who has coordinated Furniture Bank pickups since 2004.
Phil Jr., had worked with the Furniture Bank some years ago, and returned to the fold recently. He said he is proud to be part of a team that serves not only furniture donors, but folks in need. “We
Moving furniture is family affair for this long-serving crew
It’s all in the family at the Furniture Bank where these family members pick up and deliver furniture around Southeastern Michigan. From left: Phil Bradberry Sr., Phil Bradberry Jr., Dave Belisle and Albert Bradberry. Between them, they have 80 years of moving experience.
SUMMER 2016 3Providing beds and essential home furniture to children and families in need
Dealing out some fun – March 12 was a night of cards, pizza and drinks with an 80-player euchre party that raised $2,600 in support of our mission. The Furniture Bank thanks Troy-based Gleba & Associates for sponsoring the event for the fourth consecutive year!
Tasting vino for a cause – Some 175 supporters attended the first Furniture Bank Wine Tasting fundraiser on Saturday, May 7 at the historic Guardian Building in downtown Detroit, raising $22,000 to support families in need. Special thanks to presenting sponsor Joseph Aiello & Associates and also to Furniture Bank Board Members Joyce Weishaar and Judge Kathleen McCarthy for helping to make this inaugural event a success.
Gold sponsors included: MBC Retirement Services, Pediatric Associates of Dearborn, AVI, Diversified Recruiting, Reliance One, Abbott Nicholson P.C., Jeffrey D. Pepper P.C., Joyce H. Weishaar, 400 Monroe Associates, R. Daniel Webster P.C., Global Recruiters of Ann Arbor and The Suburban Collection of Ann Arbor.
Silver Sponsors included: Metro Recruiting, Tusa Law, the Honorable Kathleen M. McCarthy, Fried Saperstein Abbatt P.C. and Grantco Security Services.
Thank you to our generous benefactors
There were lots of smiling faces at the Furniture Bank’s fourth annual Euchre Party.
Mark your calendars – Furniture Bank Comedy Night, sponsored by PNC Bank, is back this fall!
The Furniture Bank is thrilled to have funny man Rocky LaPorte headlining the 2016 Furniture Bank of Southeastern Michigan Comedy Night on Thursday, Oct. 6 from 6-9 p.m. at Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle in Royal Oak. He’s one of the most sought-out comedians in the country, a finalist in the 2014 season of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing.” LaPorte has also had his own “Comedy Central Presents” show and was voted one of the network’s most popular comedians in a nationwide poll. He has also appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and is beloved by audiences and other comics alike.
The Furniture Bank thanks PNC Bank, our Headline Sponsor for the 7th annual comedy fundraiser which has raised more than $220,000 since its inception and leaves some 300 people laughing in the aisles each year.
Tickets for the 2016 Comedy Night are $50 each and include dinner, a live auction and the show. Business sponsorships are also available. Call 248-332-1300 or email [email protected]
After making final preparations, Joyce Weishaar (left) and Amy Bindbeutel are ready to greet guests at the Furniture Bank’s first annual Wine Tasting fundraiser.
Ken Meisel (left), Judge Kathleen McCarthy and Executive Director Rob Boyle were among 175 attendees at this first-time event.
OUR MISSION:
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 60,000 families since its inception. This year, we are on target to provide 1,500 local families with 12,000 items of furniture and other housewares.
details: www.furniture-bank.org
SUMMER 2016 Providing beds and essential home furniture to children and families in need
333 NORTH PERRY STREETPONTIAC, MICHIGAN 48342
Inside this issue...
• Furniture Bank helps mom and infant daughter
• It’s all in the family for this moving crew
• Media partnerships, new website coming
• Comedy Night 2016 features Rocky LaPorte
CALLUS AT 248-332-1300 and ask about our FREE pickups or take advantage of our “We’ll Take It Out for You” service for only $20.
