Through the Lens: Our Team’s Reflections
Shared by Kailyn Neil | Furnish Hope Program Manager
As Furnish Hope’s Program Manager, I oversee the referral process and manage our relationships with the individuals and families we serve, as well as the organizations that refer them to us. I coordinate with our recipients, referring agencies and volunteer teams to create the weekly transportation schedule. I also have the pleasure of being the first person from our team to reach out and share the good news - that we would love to furnish their home.
Providing an entire household full of furniture is a pretty big operation! It's usually a pretty big deal for those receiving the furniture, but I've found that, most of all, it's the little things that make the biggest impact. The small acts of thoughtfulness and care. They don't expect to be asked what their favorite colors are for bedding or whether they would prefer a tall dresser or a long dresser. When they come to the donation center, they don't realize they'll be able to shop through an entire shipping container full of "bonus items" - miscellaneous treasures that are free for the taking. They don't expect that a volunteer will listen to their story, give them a big hug, laugh and cry with them or help them pick out the perfect rug to match their new accent chairs. The whole experience is a little overwhelming, I'm sure, but they are so touched by these moments.
Although my job doesn't involve visiting the recipient's homes, I do sometimes wish I could be a fly on the wall during those moments afterwards. Those moments after the furniture is moved in and the beds are made - when they sit on their new couch, exhale, look around and realize, this is their home.
Once we move into our new property next year, we’ll be offering every recipient the opportunity to pick out the items for their new home instead of our volunteers picking items for them. We’re already offering this to a few recipients each month at our current donations center and we’re working to grow the volunteer team needed to support this new model. There will be a lot of changes on the operational side with this shift, but I'm looking forward to being able to provide this level of care to everyone we serve.
Another perk of my job, outside of helping those referred to us, is assisting our partnering agencies when they have furniture needs for their organizations. I love that we can help create comfortable, functional spaces that help these organizations serve our community better.
In just the past few weeks, I've spoken with a Family Time Coordinator at the ODHS Redmond Visit Center about furnishing rooms where families visit children in the foster care system. They want the spaces to look and feel like home, and the furniture they have has become very worn over time. They would love help replacing essential items such as dining tables, bookshelves, rocking chairs and children's tables.
We've also heard from Central Oregon Collective, a nonprofit caring for adults with disabilities, that needed furniture for residents in one of their group homes. Saving Grace reached out needing mattresses and pillow covers for shelter residents. Pregnancy Resource Center needed office furniture, and Central Oregon Villages needed bunk beds for their tiny homes.
Whether we're furnishing a family's first home after a difficult season or helping our community partners create welcoming spaces for those they serve, it's all part of the same mission. Home is more than furniture - it's comfort, dignity, belonging and hope. I'm grateful that every day, in big ways and small, I get to be part of helping make that possible.