Houston Furniture Bank has been awarded a $250,000 grant from the American Red Cross to provide essential furniture to families affected by the storm. The grant will make it possible for Houston Furniture Bank to provide furniture to 200 Houston-area families, supporting the nonprofit’s ongoing efforts to ensure that no child has to eat or sleep on the floor.
Houston Furniture Bank is partnering with Communities in Schools Houston (CIS) for furniture distribution for this grant. CIS is a campus-based Dropout Prevention program and one of Houston Furniture Bank’s oldest furniture distribution partners. CIS will identify the families to receive furniture from among affected students in Houston-area school districts.
“Houston Furniture Bank is committed to helping affected families for as long as we are able,” said Oli Mohammed, Houston Furniture Bank president and CEO. “We believe that furniture is an essential component of quality of life. As long as we have furniture to give, we’ll continue to help our neighbors in need.”
“Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the Red Cross is partnering with community organizations that provide much needed help and support. Returning to a safe and habitable home is essential for families impacted by Harvey. We value our collaboration with Houston Furniture Bank in providing a basic component for recovery,” said Henry Van de Putte, CEO of the Red Cross, Texas Gulf Region.
Houston Furniture Bank has helped more than 2,000 Houston-area families as part of its Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts since September 2017. Although it’s been a year since the storm, many families are still struggling to recover from this devastating event and additional assistance efforts are needed. Houston Furniture Bank is currently providing aid to affected families through other grants, including the Greater Houston Community Foundation.
Families in need of aid can contact the United Way of Greater Houston Helpline at 211 to find an area agency or nonprofit providing assistance to those affected by Hurricane Harvey. Once they have gone through the intake process with that agency or nonprofit, they can be referred to Houston Furniture Bank by a caseworker for furniture distribution assistance.
For more information about Houston Furniture Bank programs and services, please call (713) 842-9771 or write to info@houstonfurniturebank-staging.gllzc0ys-liquidwebsites.com.