City Furniture Partners with Habitat for HumanityTo Boost Used Furniture Donations

PRLog (Press Release) - Oct. 30, 2012 - City Furniture and Habitat for Humanity of Broward are partnering to make it easier for area residents to find new homes for gently used furniture.  

Learning that it’s tough for Habitat for Humanity to keep the popular Habitat ReStore home improvement thrift store in Fort Lauderdale stocked with donated used furniture, City Furniture President Keith Koenig saw an opportunity to add marketing muscle to the charity’s efforts.

“Our customers often wonder what to do with their old furniture,” Koenig explained.  “Now our sales associates and delivery crews in Broward can respond that the Habitat ReStore welcomes donations of quality used furniture.  It’s a perfect partnership,” he added, “letting our team solve customers’ needs and help the community, while ensuring  used furniture will find its way to homes, not landfills.”  Print materials in each of City Furniture’s three Broward County showrooms and online marketing will support the ongoing effort.

When Nancy Daly, Habitat board member and ReStore chairperson, told Koenig that she loved the idea, but transporting donations would be an issue, City Furniture donated funds for a new Habitat for Humanity of Broward delivery truck.  Wrapped with the message, “Humanity never goes out of style -- giving life to your old furniture,” the truck will pick up donated furniture anywhere in Broward County.

“City Furniture is one of our biggest supporters,” Daly said.  “Since our ReStore opened in 2000, they’ve delivered truckloads of scratch-and-dent items to us.  City Furniture’s people worked on the Habitat home named for the company, and Keith’s wife Doreen serves on our board,” she added.  “Now they’ve truly taken our partnership to the next level.”

Koenig said his company is piloting the program in Broward, and is exploring opportunities to play a similar role for Habitat for Humanity affiliates in all City Furniture’s Southeast and Southwest Florida markets.  With the region’s top furniture retailer making deliveries to 400 to 800 customers each day in 14 counties, the partnership stands to make a significant difference.

In today’s economy, Daly said, Habitat’s Fort Lauderdale ReStore is seeing high demand for upscale used furniture.  “We have a hard time keeping enough used dining tables, chairs, sofas and chests of drawers in stock,” she added.  Located at 505 W. Broward Boulevard, the home improvement thrift store has an avid following – it’s rated sixth in gross sales and fourth in profitability of 768 Habitat ReStores nationwide.  In addition to furniture, the ReStore sells used and surplus building materials for a fraction of their original cost.  Proceeds from the ReStore support Habitat for Humanity’s mission of eradicating substandard housing by building simple, decent, affordable homes in partnership with low and very-low income families in need,

Daly said Habitat for Humanity of Broward welcomes donations of individual pieces or rooms of furniture in good condition.  For information or to arrange pick-up of used furniture, contact Habitat at 954-763-7771 or visit http://ww.habitatbroward.org.

Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/12012200/1