Why Furniture

Furniture is an important part of every home. It’s where you sit and talk with family and friends, do homework, and share meals together. Furniture poverty creates an empty and closed off environment that doesn’t encourage people or build community.

Without furniture, it’s difficult to make a house feel like home.

Furniture poverty is when any person or family lacks the financial means to make their empty home into a furnished one. Without a bed to sleep on, those affected by furniture poverty are left with a poor night’s sleep, making it difficult to live, study, and work. Without a sofa, there is nowhere to sit down with friends or family, making it easy for those living in furniture poverty to isolate themselves due to feelings of shame and despair.

Or worse yet, they might even return to a shelter where they have a bed to sleep on. Furniture poverty comes with harmful emotional, physical, and financial consequences.

Think about how often you use your furniture for basic daily activities. From eating meals at your kitchen table to channel surfing on the couch in your living room, almost every daily activity you perform is centered around a piece of furniture. Those living in furniture poverty don’t have the chance to lay down in a comfortable bed after a hard day of work, rest on the couch with their loved ones or eat their meals on a communal table.

At Off the Floor we are working to create communities where we all belong – and create a world where everyone has the dignity of a furnished home.

Since 2004, we’ve helped thousands of families furnish their homes to create a comfortable environment for them to thrive. In 2023, we delivered 14,229 pieces of furniture and served 2,321 individuals!

The generous donations from our community enable us to continue with our mission of ending furniture poverty. We are always seeking donations of furniture, volunteer time, or financial contributions to move us forward.

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