From Shelter to Stability
Learn About Furniture Bank
The CARITAS Furniture Bank was formed In September 2008, after CARITAS acquired Central Virginia’s only furniture bank, founded in 2005 by Embrace Richmond. At the time of the acquisition, the funiture bank was providing furniture and household items to over 150 homeless and at-risk individuals and families annually, a substantial number, but still far less than the 1,000 households annually needing assistance, as determined by an independent study performed by Leadership Metro Richmond in 2008.
CARITAS plans to narrow the gap by doubling furniture bank capacity this year. But furniture assistance is only one of the aftercare services needed for families to make the transition from shelters to a stable home. Previously homeless individuals are at greater risk of returning to homelessness, and Homeward’s Ten-Year Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness emphasizes prevention, with targeted strategies to keep those seeking permanent housing from falling through the cracks back into homelessness.
Through the CARITAS Furniture Bank, CARITAS Shelter, Embrace Richmond, and The Healing Place we are working together to respond to the need for aftercare services by providing furniture assistance, employment services and mentoring.
Through the furniture bank, CARITAS currently partners with 28 local care providers to identify those with the greatest need, ideally positioning it to provide aftercare services throughout Richmond’s homeless services system. These partners are listed on the Partners page.
Items donated to the CARITAS Furniture Bank will be given to clients and used to further the mission of CARITAS.