Helping With Furniture

I have to give more than kudos to two amazing women, Natalie Maione and Buffey Cassidy, they have become my heros and role models within the community. These women not only run their own daycare business, but also founded the charity Helping with Furniture. Located in Ottawa, the nation's capital, each Wednesday night these two ladies commandeer a donated moving truck from Penske and collect unwanted furniture to furnish homes for newly arrived refugee claimants.

When establishing my business, I wanted to give back to the community who supports me. I found the perfect fit. I provide services for clients who are selling and moving. They often had furniture they just didn't need or want anymore. Rather than taking to a landfill, or pay to have the pieces hauled away, I recommend donating the unwanted furniture. It is collected at no charge and finds a more meaningful new life. It makes my clients feel good, and it makes me feel even better. I also donate a percentage of my total revenue and I try very hard to volunteer some time on Wednesday evenings to help.

The charity in its three short years has grown by leaps and bounds and its biggest challenge is to keep up with demand for adequate storage facilities for all the furniture donated and a growing waiting list.

It is a very gratifying, hands-on organization. Within an evening you lug furniture, organize packages of linens and household items and turn a family's empty shelter into a home. For the children of these families it is beyond Christmas. They suddenly have a bed to call their own and toys. If you ever want to feel your heart swell to three times its size, spend an evening helping make a home for families who have left behind everything they knew. The gratitude is overwhelming and life changing.

Last night was Helping with Furniture's very successful third annual fundraiser with about 200 people in attendance. It was a fantastic evening, a warm gathering of volunteers and supporters. The mood was that of a big family, with a mariachi band, belly dancer, and singer songwriter for entertainment through dinner. Some of the refugee claimants were in attendance. The generosity shown to them here in Canada has in turn inspired them to volunteer to help other refugees from all over the world.

Natalie and Buffey's selflessness acumen is inspiring and deserves recognition. They already had busy lives, but they recognized a need to help and made it happen. Their example to their children, their friends, and all of us is stellar. They established connections, global networks and made life-long friends. I'm very thankful our community have people like Natalie and Buffey.

To read more about them please link to: Media