Progress Behind the Scenes
Progress Continues Behind the Scenes
Furnish Hope ushered in 2026 with an exciting new development - the purchase of our future home, a space where we could begin dreaming about expanding our services, serving more families, deepening connections with recipients and reimagining what furnishing hope looks like in Central Oregon and beyond.
In February, demolition began, architectural renderings were completed, and the vision started to take shape. In April, our community rallied around that vision at our CHAIRitable event, raising an incredible $412,000 to support the mission of Furnish Hope.
As we reach the midpoint of 2026, it may seem like progress has slowed. In reality, there's tremendous momentum behind the scenes. Following a series of encouraging meetings with our contractors, architects, and city officials, we've submitted our building permits for review. While approval can take several months, our team is using this time to prepare for the next chapter.
Putting Our New Space to Use
While we wait for construction to begin, hope is already taking place inside these walls. We've welcomed guests for tours, hosted dresser builds, celebrated our incredible volunteers and gathered with our Catwalk Ambassadors - all creating moments of connection, generosity and shared purpose that offer a glimpse of what's to come.
Program Structure and Growth
As we prepare to expand our services, we're taking a strategic look at our programs and asking, What needs to be in place to grow well? We're intentionally strengthening the foundation that will support our programs, volunteers and staff while ensuring we continue serving our community with excellence.
We're expanding volunteer teams to support future program hours, creating specialized volunteer teams for new initiatives, investing in training and developing the skills and systems that will help us serve recipients even better.
Funding and Community Connections
Community has always fueled our mission, and that has never been more evident than over the past eight months. From volunteers helping with demolition and painting to community partners donating services and materials, to generous donors making this project possible, we continue to be humbled by the incredible support we've received.
Progress Towards Our Capital Campaign Goal
Visit our website (click here) to explore the full story behind our new property and see how this space will help create new opportunities for the people we serve.
This project has also opened doors we never expected. We've begun working with a large national grantor that is providing both funding opportunities and leadership training and development. We're pursuing additional grants for this capital project, connecting with new financial partners and building relationships that will strengthen our mission for years to come.
Technology and Operations
With an eye toward the future, we're also strengthening the systems behind our mission. By working with technology and database experts, we're building the programs, systems,and processes that will better support our recipients, care for our volunteers and streamline operations as we grow.
Looking Ahead
We're excited about all that's happening at Furnish Hope - even when much of the work isn't visible yet. As we continue preparing for this next chapter, opportunities to get involved will continue to grow. Thank you for being part of this journey. We can't wait to share what's next.
