By Joan F. Simoneau, Community Reporter
Hudson – Fresh Start Furniture Bank is a volunteer-based charity located in Hudson which provides free furniture and home goods to people in need. They are veterans, women and children escaping abusive domestic situations, people recovering from addiction or mental illness, hurricane/fire victims, refugees and recent immigrants, the working poor and people who are just down on their luck.
“Our secondary goal is to keep these items out of the waste stream,” said volunteer Laura Booth. “In 2017 we furnished 439 households with over 15,000 items. In 2018 we expect to furnish 570 households, about 1,650 people, with about 20,000 items.”
According to Booth, they are currently in need of kitchen tables and chairs, dressers, coffee and end tables, bed frames, as well as used bed sheets, blankets, comforters and bath towels. They are also low on matching dishware, pots and pans, baking items, matching glasses, silverware and small appliances.
Volunteers who staff Fresh Start, located at 34 Tower St. in Hudson, are making an appeal to all to check their homes and apartments and donate any items they no longer need to help the many who do need them.
Kate Halpin, assistant store manager, said: “It is heartwarming to witness the clients’ joy as they are packing up the furniture and housewares that will make their apartment into a home. I was working with a client recently that just couldn’t believe that everything was free!”
Anyone wishing to volunteer services is welcome. In 2017 volunteers provided more than 9,000 hours. They are looking for people to help sort donations, work with clients and donors, and move furniture.
“You can work as little as one day a month or become like some of our volunteers and come all the time we are open,” said Booth.
Fresh Start Furniture accepts donations Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to12 p.m., and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
To request a pick-up for larger items, call 508-485-2080 and leave a message for the donations staff. Further information is available at www.FreshStartFurnitureBank.org.
