How I Partnered With Cincinnati’s New Life Furniture Bank to Turn a House into a Home
Last month, I experienced a truly life changing project. New Life Furniture Bank’s Design with a Heart program, which pairs local interior designers with eligible families, granted me the opportunity to design and execute a project for a family in Cincinnati, Ohio at zero cost with 100% donated finds.
Interior design is a tool all families deserve access to because it can transform our spaces and – in turn – our loved ones’ lives. It’s a matter of good mental health and quality of life.
How Does New Life Furniture Bank Work?
To put it simply, New Life delivers furniture and turns empty houses into homes for our most vulnerable neighbors.
Here’s how it works:
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New Life picks up donated furniture from homeowners in the community and delivers these pieces to homeowners who need them six days a week. They collect over 20,000 items and help furnish over 1,500 homes every year!
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The New Life team believes every child deserves a bed to sleep on; therefore, they use cash donations to purchase new beds when bed donations are running low.
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New Life volunteers will put in over a collective 200 hours into services, building furniture and packing up donations for delivery.
It truly does take a village to help our neighbors, and I have first-hand experience of the ways New Life is making a difference in our community.
DONATE YOUR FURNITURE!
My Experience Working with New Life Furniture Bank
The family I got to work with for Design with a Heart had three children in a fairly small space. Additionally, their apartment needed a good amount of furniture and more clearly designated spaces for living (i.e. a dining space, living room, play area, etc.).
Before getting started, I sat down with the family to learn more about their style – their likes and dislikes, do’s and don’ts – just as I do for all of my clients. Then, it was time to start searching for pieces!
I was so excited to dive into the collection of donations on hand for this project, and I was able to pick out pieces I believed hit the mark for this family’s preferences. The best part about this project was seeing the look on their children’s faces at the final reveal.
You can watch my interview of the experience here.
I’m Adding New Life to My Project Process!
After participating in the Design with a Heart program, I felt as though I’d opened Pandora’s box. Except, only good things came soaring out into the world.
I could see the very real difference this non-profit is making in our community, and knew I needed to make it a regular part of my life.
So, I’m adding New Life furniture donations to my project process!
When we work together, we’ll sort through your furniture to weed out what you absolutely cannot live without versus what you’re ready to part with. Instead of sending those pieces off to some unknown location, we will place a request on your behalf for New Life Furniture Bank’s free haul away service to come pick up those pieces and bring them to their site.
Your furniture can make a difference. In fact, it can turn houses into homes.
If you don’t have any furniture to donate, don’t worry! There are plenty of ways to contribute to this cause:
Check out these after photos!
Since this day, the mother of this family has reached out to say, “Thank you so much, it’s so beautiful, I really appreciate it. [The furniture] brings joy to my life. My heart is really loved.”
Thanks to New Life Furniture Bank for their mission and all the good they do!
