ECHO / Furniture Bank of Tallahassee

The Furniture Bank of Tallahassee collects donated gently-used furniture and redistributes it free of charge to our newly-rehoused neighbors in need.  This saves each client hundreds of dollars in out-of-pocket costs which is so vital while they are trying to rebuild their lives.  Each delivery also diverts hundreds of pounds of unwanted furniture from ending up in the landfill.  We are doing good and being green all at the same time!

We serve an average of 125 family units per year, the majority of whom are veterans.  Each family receives a minimum of a sofa and chair for the living room, a dining table and chairs, a dresser for the bedroom, and as many beds as are needed to insure that no one has to sleep directly on the floor any longer.  We are on target this year to save our clients a total of $60,000 while reusing 15,000 pounds of previously unwanted furniture destined to be discarded.

We are currently participating in the A Community Thrives sponsored by Mightycause challenge by raising a minimum of $3,000.   By doing so, we will qualify to be considered for one of Gannett's $50,000 grants.  This will enable us to purchase a new box truck to replace our existing pickup truck.  This will allow us to schedule multiple pickups and deliveries on the same trip saving us many hours on the road as well as reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.  Each gift will then be matched dollar for dollar up to $3,000 by an anonymous donor.  This money will be used to establish a maintenance and repair reserve fund for the truck.