New Life Furniture Bank of MA: A Great Resource For Donating!

Medfield-based nonprofit New Life Furniture Bank of MA provides furniture and household goods to those in need. “I am drawn to our mission of helping people transitioning out of homelessness by furnishing their new apartments at no cost. I also really enjoy the welcoming community of New Life Volunteers. Now that I am retired I have the luxury of spending at least some of my time giving back,” says Westwood resident and New Life volunteer, Laura Stanton. “We were founded in October of 2013. We have gotten support from a number of area churches and civic groups, we have been successful with press coverage including in the [Boston] Globe Dec. 2017, social media, and word of mouth. We have had booths at a number of ‘town days’ - Medfield, Westwood (last year), Walpole, Norfolk, and some Volunteer Fairs.”

On Thursday, June 13, from 10am-2pm at the Route 1A Marketplace in Walpole, New Life Furniture Bank of MA will hold its third Stuff a Truck. They will be seeking donations of things including kitchen dishes, flatware, pots and pans, coffee makers, microwaves, lamps, and framed artwork. “This will be our 3rd Stuff a truck and we hope to have them monthly in the fall. It gives people the opportunity to donate housewares during the week and it helps spread the word about us,” explains Stanton. (The 1A Marketplace is near Rocky’s Hardware and Dunkin’).

New Life Furniture Bank of MA’s vision is on their website as “To make a difference in the lives of people who are transitioning from a homeless environment, victims of fire, military veterans and refugees...To serve households referred to us by social service and healthcare agencies, as well as area clergy...To treat all clients with compassion and dignity...To educate donors about homelessness and to turn disposal of unwanted furniture into an opportunity to help others while keeping those items out of landfills.” Stanton reports “I would say that New Life is expert on the topic of homelessness in MA. The average age of a homeless person in MA is eight. Over 9,000 high school students are homeless on any given night. Boston has some of the highest rents in the US and outdated public transportation system. According to a report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development published in December 2018, the homeless population in Massachusetts rose 14 percent in one year, compared to a 0.3 percent rise nationally. Last year, there were an estimated 20,000 people in Massachusetts who were homeless.”

The clients who receive furniture and other goods from New Life are referred via the referral form on the Furniture Bank’s website. “New Life is known throughout the area as being a reliable and reputable resource for agencies like Rosie's Place, HomeStart, Pine Street Inn, etc...We then work with them one to one to learn what is needed and schedule appointments for clients to ‘shop at no cost’ in our Donation Center. We have served over 2,000 clients in our first 5+ years and are now scheduling 13-16 per week Tuesdays-Saturdays,” comments Stanton.

People who wish to donate to New Life Furniture Bank of MA but have furniture or cannot make Thursday’s Stuff A Truck can contact them for a furniture pickup, or items may be dropped off at New Life’s Donation Center at 102 Elm Street in Walpole, MA on Saturday mornings between 9:00 and 11:30 am. “New Life is a good resource for people who are downsizing, moving, or redecorating. We keep thousands of pounds of furniture out of landfills every year....People who are interested in donating furniture should go here to learn more: https://www.newlifefb.org/donate-furniture,” says Stanton.