Neighborhood Nonprofit Spotlight: Community Warehouse

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Patch: Tell Patch a little bit about your organization!

Community Warehouse: Community Warehouse is your local, nonprofit furniture bank that collects and redistributes donated furniture and household goods to neighbors in need. Through partnerships with over 200 social service agencies, families visit the Warehouse to get the essential furnishings they need to create more safe, comfortable, and happy homes.

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Patch: How does your organization help to strengthen the local community?

Community Warehouse: Community Warehouse provides local families in need with cookware, and a set of dishes to serve a family meal, and other essential household items to help them set up a functional home. We depend on in-kind donations for inventory, so we are reusing resources already present in the community. By partnering with nearly 200 non-profit and social service agencies, we fulfill an average of 50 requests each week, serving over 7,000 people annually. Clients include women escaping domestic violence, the elderly, people with mental and physical disabilities, refugee families, and the working poor. 100% of our clients are low-income or under the federal poverty level. By putting used goods to good use every day, we make it possible for families to benefit from their neighbors' items that still have life to give. The ability to cook meals, eat together as a family at a kitchen table, and get a good night’s sleep on a bed with pillows and blankets all provide a step towards self-sufficiency.

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Patch: What is the biggest struggle your organization faces?

Community Warehouse: Community Warehouse has been redistributing donations from the community to neighbors in need since 2001. However, we often find that local residents have never heard of us – even if they live nearby. Unlike most nonprofits, Community Warehouse relies on public relations to meet its basic mission. Without donations of furniture and household items from the public and continued support from the volunteers in our community, we would be unable to serve local families in need. Our greatest need is public awareness so we can engage the community to help us provide essential furnishings for local families and their children.

Patch: What do you hope for the future of your non profit?

Community Warehouse: Through consistent evaluation and improvements, our long-term goal is to reach everyone in need who requests our services by expanding Community Warehouse into all four counties in the metro area. Our dream is that everyone in our region will be able to access affordable housing and furnishings and move towards self-sufficiency - because the strength of our community begins at home.

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Photo: Community Warehouse