“Despite continued challenges from the ongoing pandemic, we continue to find new ways to support needy families who are working hard to better their lives.” – Furnish With Love Founder Kathleen Kelly
ATLANTA, GA, February 23, 2022 /24-7PressRelease/ — Furnish with Love (FWL), an Atlanta-based non-profit organization that transforms empty housing into uplifting homes for families transitioning out of homelessness, today announced 2022 plans for funding and furnishing eight more homes for Atlanta area families in need. Since it was founded in 2019, Furnish with Love has helped 13 area families who overcame unimaginable challenges to break the cycle of homelessness and find a safe, affordable place to live for them and their children.
Through community action and coordination with generous business partners, Furnish with Love is able to furnish homes for families with new furniture, mattresses, kitchen, and home décor items.
“Furnish with Love has a mission with a purpose. Hearing the personal stories of these families, what they’ve been through, and how they have worked to overcome their situations is awe-inspiring,” said Furnish with Love Founder Kathleen Kelly. “Many of these families move in with only the clothes on their backs and a few personal items, so we really are starting from scratch with each family. Our goal is to set each parent up for success, and to help the children feel safe and happy in their new home.”
The FWL Process
Furnish with Love partners with agencies that work with homeless families to teach life skills and promote self-sufficiency. Once a family completes their program and finds a place to live, the agencies contact Furnish with Love to help plan and furnish the new residence. FWL staff and volunteers talk with the family to learn more about them and their needs, as well as their personal style, favorite colors, and other preferences. Once the FWL team familiarizes itself with the family, they get to work gathering home furnishings from individuals, stores, and design houses, collecting and transporting furniture, linens, dishes, cookware, and décor — such as lamps, throw pillows, and wall art.
Thanks to FWL’s strong partner program cultivated through relationships with designers, furniture manufacturers, and curators of fabrics and décor items over the past three years, the FWL team works with respected local design professionals to create furniture plans and mood boards based on the donations available in the FWL warehouse.
Nesting Day
On move-in day, the FWL team asks the family to vacate for the day so Furnish with Love partners, volunteer movers, and designers can work to furnish and beautify the home. Once beds are made, curtains and art are hung, and the kitchen cabinets are stocked with dishes, pots and pans, the FWL team welcomes the family back home for the big reveal, showcasing a new home that is fully furnished with what each family needs to make a new start.
“Despite continued challenges from the ongoing pandemic, we continue to find new ways to support needy families who are working hard to better their lives,” added Kathleen. “It’s rewarding to look back on what we’ve managed to achieve, and it motivates us to want to help even more families feel safe and comfortable at home in the coming year.”
In mid-2021, Furnish with Love announced that Kathleen and her husband Rob Katz purchased a building at 508 E. Howard Street in Decatur to serve as the organization’s new headquarters. In its new location, Furnish with Love keeps inventory, and collects items to sell at its Pop-up Sale Fundraiser events that are open to the public. Currently, the FWL team is preparing for its next Pop-up Sale scheduled for Saturday, April 23rd, 2022.
Follow Furnish with Love on Facebook and Instagram for upcoming Pop-Up Shop dates, details, and sneak peeks at featured furniture and décor items.
About Furnish with Love
Founded in 2019, Furnish with Love is an Atlanta-based, non-profit organization dedicated to transforming empty housing into uplifting homes for families transitioning out of homelessness. The organization’s mission is to effect positive change in the Atlanta, GA region one family at a time. Thanks to the generosity of its collaborative partners, including career design professionals, volunteers, local furniture businesses and manufacturers, and others, Furnish With Love plans and fully furnishes beautiful, functional spaces designed to help families thrive.
To learn more, donate, or support, visit furnishwithlove.org.
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