Grant Supports Purchase of New Truck to Pick Up and Deliver Free Furniture to Westchester Families in Need
WEST HARRISON, N.Y. — July 29 — Furniture Sharehouse, Westchester County’s only furniture bank providing free furniture to residents in need, has received a $95,000 grant from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation, led by philanthropist and New York Mets owner Alex Cohen.
The grant will support the purchase of a new box truck, allowing Furniture Sharehouse to continue collecting gently used furniture from donors throughout Westchester County and delivering it to individuals and families who are rebuilding their lives.
Furniture Sharehouse’s current truck is more than 10 years old, has more than 120,000 miles on it, and has required increasingly frequent and costly repairs. The truck is on the road four to five days each week, collecting donated furniture and delivering it directly to clients’ homes.
When the truck is out of service, furniture pickups can be delayed or lost altogether, while clients who have already selected their furniture must wait even longer for beds, tables, chairs and other basic household necessities.
The Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation grant will allow Furniture Sharehouse to purchase a new, state-of-the-art 18-foot box truck and provide more reliable service to both donors and clients.
“This incredibly generous grant from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation is critical for our organization and will absolutely mean the difference between our clients living in an empty space, sleeping and eating on the floor, or living with hope and comfort,” said Kate Bialo, Executive Director and Founder of Furniture Sharehouse. “Our truck touches literally every aspect of our mission — collecting unwanted furniture from the public, keeping it out of the waste stream, and getting furniture into the homes of those who desperately need it. This grant literally puts our clients on the road to recovery.”
As Westchester’s only furniture bank, Furniture Sharehouse addresses the often-invisible problem of furniture poverty — the reality that many individuals and families secure housing but do not have the resources to furnish it.
Furniture Sharehouse serves people moving out of homeless shelters, survivors of domestic violence, individuals living with physical or mental disabilities, families recovering from fires or flooding, older adults living on limited incomes, veterans, young people aging out of foster care, refugees, and others facing financial hardship.
Clients receive essential furniture at no cost, including beds, dressers, tables and chairs, sofas, lamps, rugs, artwork, and household and kitchen items. The furniture is donated by Westchester residents and businesses looking for a responsible way to give unwanted furnishings a new life.
Through this grant, Furniture Sharehouse will be better equipped to keep those donations moving — from generous donors throughout the community to the homes of neighbors who need them most.