Support Easton’s Change for Charity Partner Furniture Bank

Every year, the Easton Community Foundation chooses six local nonprofit organizations to support as part of its Change for Charity initiative. Our Change for Charity partner in July and August was Furniture Bank, an organization focused on turning an empty house into a home of hope.

We sat down with Furniture Bank’s President, Steve Votaw, to learn more about the incredible work being done by this local nonprofit.

What do you love about being a part of the Furniture Bank of Central Ohio, and what do you want people to know about the organization? 

There are thousands of kids that go to bed each night who are sleeping on the floor and have no bed to call their own. I love being part of the Furniture Bank because I know we are making a difference in the thousands of families’ lives who are impacted by poverty. We are blessed with 10,000 acts of kindness from the community every year, which allows us to serve 10,000 people in need.

What type of work does the Furniture Bank of Central Ohio do on a day-to-day basis? 

We try to lessen the impact of poverty by helping 18-22 families stabilize their living environment. We allow families to select, and then deliver, approximately 300 pieces of furniture to their home or apartment, every day. We also operate a wood shop where we build additional furniture pieces—with the help of our volunteers. Every day we collect, build and/or distribute close to 600 pieces of furniture.

What have been some of the Furniture Bank of Central Ohio’s biggest accomplishments to date? 

I think our biggest accomplishment to date has been that in our 20 years of existence we have provided furniture to over 60,000 families in central Ohio!

What does it mean to be a part of the Change for Charity program? 

It is very exciting to be a part of this program. Being able to partner with Easton Town Center has greatly helped us enhance our community presence. We are completely dependent on philanthropy to operate and partnering with Easton to tap into their marketing efforts has helped the community become more familiar with the Furniture Bank and what we do. The recognition and support of Easton helps bring credibility and trust to our organization, as well.

How does your organization plan to use the funds it raises from the Change for Charity program? 

The funds raised through Change for Charity will be used to provide 80 families with over 1,000 pieces of furniture!

Other than participate in Change for Charity, how can people support the Furniture Bank of Central Ohio? 

You can support the Furniture Bank in three different ways. First, you can donate any gently used furniture and/or household item to us. All you have to do is call us at 614-545-3838, and we’ll do the rest! Majority of the time, we’ve been able to pick up at no charge. Second, you can volunteer and help us build furniture or sort household goods. Last year alone we were able to build and sort these goods with the help of over 2,500 volunteers! Lastly, you can always make a financial donation to support our mission. Please head to our website at www.furniturebankcoh.org and click on our donate now link. 

For more information on the Furniture Bank of Central Ohio, visit their website.