Furniture Bank Celebrates First Anniversary
PROGRAM SERVES 328 FAMILIES IN FIRST YEAR

The Chattanooga Furniture Bank, a partnership between The Salvation Army and United Way of Greater Chattanooga, celebrated its first anniversary on March 24. The Furniture Bank assists those who are transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing in our community. In the past year, the Furniture Bank provided 328 families with furniture and other household items.

United Way contracts with The Salvation Army to provide onsite management. The City of Chattanooga donated the warehouse location, at 700 East Eleventh Street, and provided a start-up grant from its Department of Neighborhood Services and Community Development. The Furniture Bank’s mission is to provide furniture to people in need as a bridge to self-sufficiency. 

Lee Barton, Furniture Bank Operations Manager, said “Without the community making donations, this wouldn’t be possible.” Donated furniture is offered free of charge to families whose needs are verified by partner agencies that work with homeless and displaced families.

The Chattanooga Furniture Bank accepts all donations of furniture, appliances and other household goods, and your donations are tax-deductable. The Furniture Bank will work to try to arrange pickup. Here are some ways to help:

• Furniture and appliance retailers or wholesalers can ask customers to donate their old furniture to the Furniture Bank. If you are a retailer and pick up your customers’ old furniture, please bring it to the Furniture Bank. It will also take scratch and dent items.
• Realtors, hotels and motels can donate any usable chairs, dressers, bureaus, mattresses and tables. The Furniture Bank will work with you to arrange pickup.
• Hold a furniture or linen drive at your office or place of worship.
• Volunteer to help pick up furniture donations or to drop off furniture for clients.

For more information about the Chattanooga Furniture Bank call (423) 757-9527, visit the website at www.ChattanoogaFurnitureBank.org, or like them on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ChattanoogaFurnitureBank.  If you would like to make a monetary donation, make checks out to United Way of Greater Chattanooga and note on the check that the gift is for the Chattanooga Furniture Bank. Checks can be mailed to United Way of Greater Chattanooga at 630 Market Street, Chattanooga, TN, 37402. You can also call the Furniture Bank at (423) 757-9527 to schedule a furniture pick-up or to volunteer.