Causes: Human Services

Mission: To reuse donated household furnishings to renew lives of participants referred from area programs who are recovering after homelessness, crisis or disaster.

Programs: Individual support - the green chair project strategically partners with non-profit and social service agencies that identify, qualify, and refer individuals in need of furnishing assistance. Those individuals are either transitioning from homelessness after a setback such as job loss, domestic abuse, or substance abuse recovery and moving into stable housing, or recovering from losses caused by a disaster such as a fire or flood. In a beautiful and dignified setting, referred participants receive a hand-up rather than a hand-out as they obtain furnishing for their homes with either a nominal investment (typically $150) or at no cost when sponsored by their agency or the community.

agency support - the green chair project serves not only individuals and families, but also other non-profit organizations working to better our community. Non-profit partners can obtain needed furnishings for their program space from the green chair project at a very discounted cost. In addition, non-profits can spend up to 10 hours a week accepting, processing, storing and placing furniture donations they receive from supporters. The green chair project relieves the "furniture donation" burden from its partner agencies by providing a centralized resource where donations can be accepted and participants can obtain needed furnishings, while relieving the agency's administrative demands. This allows the agencies to more efficiently serve their clients in their concentration areas.

sweeter dreams bed program - the green chair project piloted a program to provide new mattress sets, bed frames, new pillows and linens to wake county elementary-aged children identified by school social workers as being without beds. The program is intended to improve the children's sleeping conditions which in turn will likely improve their school attendance, health and behavior.