Nonprofit Partner Spotlight: Home Sweet Home – Providing Furniture and Dignity to Homeless Individuals
In this video, Home Sweet Home representatives , including executive director Betsy Reznicek, and volunteers discuss the organization’s role in St. Louis County. Below, employee volunteers assemble furniture for Home Sweet Home.
Nestled in an unassuming section of Brentwood, Missouri, is the Home Sweet Home furniture bank warehouse, usually filled with tables, bookshelves, dressers, and all of the other items that families need to turn a house into a home.
The nonprofit serves survivors of domestic violence as well as those who are struggling with addiction, mental illness, and other issues that can lead to homelessness, which plagues 6,179 Missourians on any given night according to a January 2019 report from the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness.
Often, when individuals begin to transition out of homelessness, buying items like beds, tables, chairs, pots, pans, and even flatware can be cost prohibitive.
That’s where Home Sweet Home comes in, providing — and delivering — these items at no cost to the individuals who are referred to the organization from one of its 25 partner agencies. Unlike other organizations, those who need furniture are able to set up appointments to ‘shop’ for items with the help of a Home Sweet Home staff member.
“We take a lot of care in trying to make sure the items are something we would want,” executive director Betsy Reznicek said in a recent interview. “Just because people are in need doesn’t mean they don’t deserve nice things.”
In the past, Give To Get’s clients have assisted Home Sweet Home by hosting events that allow their employees to give back without leaving their office! Working in teams, employee volunteers assemble night tables, dressers, and other items. The volunteers also wrap the finished items for safe delivery to the warehouse.
Since Home Sweet Home opened its doors in 2015, it has served more than 1,775 families and delivered more than 78,695 household items, including more than 2,000 beds, to clients. Its workflow, however, has changed since the coronavirus pandemic began. Instead of asking both volunteers and staff members to assist in the warehouse, only small groups of staff members are allowed inside, despite increased safety measures. And, whereas in the past staff members and volunteers were able to drop off items for clients, that role has been relegated to only staff members.
Although volunteers are anxious to return to the warehouse, Home Sweet Home (following the guidance of local health experts) has yet to allow them to return.
Instead, those who would like to assist the organization can donate items to Home Sweet Home on Thursdays and Fridays from 9am – 2pm. Those who make donations are asked to review the list of needed items as well as the list of items that cannot be accepted. They are also asked to wear masks and have all items packed so that staff members can easily access them.
If you’d prefer to make a financial contribution, it is always possible to donate to Home Sweet Home. Individuals can also participate in the organization’s first Virtual Wine Tasting (via Zoom), which will be held on September 10th starting at 6pm. Those who would like to participate in this event can purchase a “Wine & Spirits Tasting Kit” from Grapevine Wines & Spirits, which is co-hosting the event. During the wine tasting, Grapevine Wines & Spirits owners Michael and Diana Gray will teach participants about wines, spirits, and pairings. The Home Sweet Home team will also provide updates!
If you’d like to attend the event, there’s still time to reserve your Wine & Spirit Tasting Kit!
If you and your colleagues would like to work to end homelessness near you, please consider participating in one of Give To Get’s At-Home Volunteer Programs.