A Bed To Sleep In

The National Furniture Bank Association (NFBA) and the Institution Recycling Network (IRN) have issued a joint call for transportation and warehousing services to support efforts to provide home furnishings to those in need.

“This partnership is another step in our shared and urgent commitment that no child should have to eat from a milk crate or sleep on the floor,” says NFBA Ambassador Kathy Ireland, CEO and Chief Designer of Kathy Ireland World Wide. “But to take the next step in our campaign, we need the help of logistics companies throughout North America to provide donated transportation and warehousing services.”

The mission of the NFBA and IRN partnership is to increase the availability of quality furnishings to furniture banks throughout the United States. Each year dozens of colleges, universities and preparatory schools look to the IRN to find appropriate reuse outlets for tens of thousands of items of residential furniture, including beds, mattresses, bureaus, wardrobes, desks, chairs, sofas, and tables. The items that are of good quality are removed from school property by IRN for distribution.

“That’s where the logistics industry comes in,” says Ireland. Through NFBA’s outreach capabilities, the national network of furniture banks is notified about upcoming IRN projects. “Though we can communicate the availability of furniture for families in need--for reasons ranging from disasters to economic dislocation--we can’t get the inventory into the hands of those in need without help.”

Needs exist all across the United States. Some are consistent, and some arise suddenly. Ongoing support is sought from a variety of carriers--large, medium and small--and for many warehouse locations. “Any trucking company or warehouse company that has occasional extra capacity is encouraged to contact NFBA to set up a process for making those services available to us,” Ireland says.

In addition to the satisfaction of helping fellow citizens in need, logistics suppliers who help can also benefit from a tax break under many circumstances. Companies wanting to participate should contact Jeff Hay, Executive Director, NFBA at 614-679-8739, jhay@Help1Up.org or Mark Berry, Surplus Program Manager, IRN at 603-229-1962 x107, mberry@ir-network.com

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