Read the 2017 HNFB Community Impact Report

The 2017 HopeNow Furniture Bank Community Impact Report is now available.

Download the report as a PDF.

Highlights:

In 2017, 215 families were served, including 337 adults and 278 children. Each household was provided with an average of 7.5 pieces of furniture and 2 large boxes/bags of household items. 54% of households included a disabled member, 5 of whom were veterans. 20% of households had a senior member over 65. The average monthly household income was $848. Furniture represented a volume equal to 17 semi-trailer truck loads.

Also in 2017, HNFB received over $12,000 in contributions, the highest ever, as a result of our annual fundraising appeal letter. We also funded a new paid executive director position through grants from Ariel Foundation, the Community Foundation, the Burgett Family Foundation and the Arlene & Richard Landers Foundation, and we created two crew positions to pickup furniture donations, paid for by furniture pickup fees, and a new volunteer office manager position. We purchased two new laptops with funds from the Harcourt Parish grant, and we streamlined our website for easier editing and created an online form for donations via PayPal.

In addition, HNFB purchased a newer box truck with lift gate with grant funds from the Community Foundation and installed a dust collection system in our wood-shop with grant funds from Ariel Foundation. We have also reorganized our warehouse for better efficiency in managing furniture inventory. Volunteers built dozens of bed platforms of various sizes and tables for clients when inventory was low, and they made hundreds of wooden toys from scraps to sell at community festivals to help cover wood-shop expenses.

Churches and local agency-based organizations in Knox County referred 40 low-income families to HNFB for furniture assistance in 2017, totaling 20% of all families helped by HNFB. HNFB partnered with agency-based organizations including Behavior Health Partners, Interchurch Social Services of Knox Co., Children’s Services, Job & Family Services, New Directions Women’s Shelter, American Red Cross of Knox Co., Knox County Veterans Services, Area on Aging, Midwest Innovations, and local churches.

Thank You!

The mission of HopeNow Furniture Bank was generously supported in 2017 by financial donations from numerous individuals, businesses, churches, and service organizations. This support was critical in maintaining our Services.

Major financial contributors included: Ariel Corporation & Ariel Foundation; Arlene & Richard Landers Foundation; Community Foundation of Mount Vernon & Knox Coounty; Elks of Mount Vernon #140; Faith Lutheran Church; First Congregational United Church of Christ; Fraternal Order of Eagles #760; Gay Street United Methodist Church; Harcourt Parish Episcopal Church; Mulberry United Methodist Church; Soroptimists of Mount Vernon & Knox County.

HopeNow Furniture Bank relies on in-kind donations to provide free furniture and household goods to Knox County families who cannot afford to furnish their homes. In 2017 we received donated furniture from 498 donors. We offer a pick-up service for those donors who cannot drop off their donations at our warehouse. Pickups are done on Saturdays for a nominal fee of $20. To schedule a furniture pickup, donors can complete a pickup request form online or call HNFB at (740) 358-2998 and leave a message. Furniture can be dropped off at our warehouse located at 1025 South Main Street in Mount Vernon during warehouse hours (Tuesday 1-3:30 and Thursday 10-12:30).

Major in-kind contributors included: Brenneman Lumber Co. (provided lumber); Connell’s Home Furnishings; Johnny’s Mattress; Mindy’s Ohio Mattress; Mount Vernon Nazarene University; Templed Hills Campground.

Volunteers are the heart and soul of HopeNow Furniture Bank. HNFB’s operation is run by a small group of approximately three dozen dedicated volunteers who provided more than 12,000 hours of service in 2017. Find out more about joining us in our mission.

#GiveHope4Families

HopeNow Furniture Bank is now an ambassador for #GivingTuesday.

HopeNow Furniture Bank is a nonprofit organization seeking to provide, free of charge, basic furniture and household goods for individuals and families of Knox County struggling to furnish their own homes due to poverty and other challenging life experiences. Our vision is for all Knox County children and families to live in homes equipped with essential furnishings, thereby providing basic comfort, encouraging better family unity, and relieving unnecessary suffering.

Since 2005, we have been continually serving the community of Knox County, in spite of ever increasing costs and dwindling numbers of volunteers. For the past year or so we have experienced a deficit in expenses, which caused us to be concerned about our ability to keep this mission going. However, with the awarding of grants for the salary of an executive officer, and the faithful donations from supporters, we look forward with hope.

This year, as we come to the community to ask for your support in joining us to build this organization, we are partnering with the global Giving Tuesday movement to promote awareness and involvement in doing something for others. #Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to encourage philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide.

Those who are interested in joining HopeNow Furniture Bank’s #GivingTuesday initiative can donate on this website or through our Facebook page as well as learn more about our related events. Checks can be sent to HopeNow Furniture Bank at P.O. Box 627, 1025 South Main Street, Mount Vernon, OH.

To learn more about the #GivingTuesday movement, visit www.givingtuesday.org or their Facebook page or follow @GivingTues and the #GivingTuesday hashtag on Twitter.

Make an Offer: Dish Set Available

This beautiful set of dishes is a service for 6. There are large dinner plates, smaller plates, pasta or salad bowls, cereal bowls and several serving pieces. They are in excellent shape and would be lovely on a holiday table. The brand is Charter Club.

Oct. 30, 2018: Workshop for All HNFB Volunteers

Tuesday, October 30th at 10 a.m. we will hold a training/retraining workshop for all HopeNow Furniture Bank volunteers. This is a (required) opportunity to meet with all of the other staff that you don’t often get to see. Also, we will review our policies and practices to be sure we are all on the same page and are doing things in the best way to serve our organization and our clients. In case someone out there is reading this and is interested in volunteering with us, we welcome you to this meeting! Bev Actis Hierl will be here and will be conducting the training, so it will also be a great chance to chat with her. Pizza lunch will be served. Put it on your calendar!

Oct. 10, 2018: Warehouse Repair Work Begins

HNFB volunteers are beginning the work to prepare for a crew coming in to do ceiling insulation of the warehouse. Since we are open year round, the temperatures in the warehouse can be very cold during the winter months. This insulation will help to keep the temperatures more moderate all year long. In preparation, mattresses, a lot of the furniture, and household goods must be temporarily moved. Some semi-truck beds have been rented to hold these things while the work is being done. While we have the opportunity, we also hope to do some thorough cleaning and prepare floor pads or racks to hold mattresses. The work is being underwritten by grant funds for which we are very thankful.

Hopefully, the work will be done before the end of the month, but as of now, we plan our first reopen day to be Tuesday, November 6th.

HopeNow Launches #GivingTuesday Campaign

Following the proclamation issued last night by the Mount Vernon City Council, HopeNow Furniture Bank will lead the way to inspire Knox County communities in one common purpose: to do good. Read more at mountvernonnews.com.