Help a Family in Need with the Furniture Drive

The Mamaroneck High School (MHS) Furniture Sharehouse service club will be collecting gently used furniture for redistribution to needy families in the community on Mar. 19 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the parking lot at MHS, rain or shine.

The donations will benefit Furniture Sharehouse—a not-for-profit organization that provides furniture to people in need—founded by Kate Bialo in 2007 to fill the need for a temporary storage spot for donated furniture. A "shared warehouse" space was located and with start-up funds donated by the Junior League of Westchester on the Sound (JLOWS) and a matching grant from Westchester County Housing and Urban Development (HUD), a space at the Westchester County Airport was secured, according to the Sharehouse Web site.

Last year, the MHS club collected over 250 furniture items from over 50 donors, and hope to have an equally successful run this time around.

Leslie Garwood, who is helping the students from the newly formed Sharehouse Club at MHS coordinate the drive, said, “The annual MHS Furniture Drive is a great hands-on project for these students—they know their efforts will have a direct and immediate impact on the lives of the many families in our area who do not have a bed to sleep on or a table to share a family meal, and they feel great about that.”

Furniture Sharehouse has provided over 15,000 items of free furniture to over 1,200 families since it's inception, coming to the rescue when families are most vulnerable.  Sharehouse's services were critical during the 2007 flood in Mamaroneck, when 65 displaced families received donated furniture.

Only furniture in good condition will be accepted, so please visit the Furniture Sharehouse Web site for guidelines before loading up your car. A tax receipt for your donation will be provided. For questions, or to volunteer, e-mail: info@furnituresharehouse.org.