Virtual Furniture Bank

The Whatcom Volunteer Center has launched House 2 Home Network, the first-ever Virtual Furniture and Household Items Bank. The Bank exists to help people that were homeless and recently acquired housing through the Whatcom Homeless Service Center to furnish their new homes.

While most furniture banks require thousands of square feet in warehouse space, dramatically increasing their overhead cost, our furniture bank is run entirely through an online database. That means Whatcom Volunteer Center won’t collect items at the office or store them in a warehouse – instead, as a client makes a request they will be matched immediately with a donor from our database.

This database contains the requests of clients for furniture and the items that have been contributed by donors so we can match our clients with the items they need. When a match has been made, a furniture bank volunteer picks up the item from the donor’s house, delivers it to the client’s house, and helps to place the furniture in his or her home.

For more information on the House 2 Home Network, please contact Rebecca Rayner at 360.224.7185 or at rebeccar@whatcomvolunteer.org.

What can and can’t I donate?

The purpose of the House 2 Home Network virtual furniture and household items bank is to help people that were recently homeless get back on their feet without worrying about furnishing their new home. Please do not donate items you would not be comfortable using in your own home.

What can I donate?

• Mattresses, box springs and bed frames
• Couches
• Chairs
• Dining tables and chairs
• Desks
• Dressers
• Miscellaneous furniture (side/end tables, ottomans, coffee tables, etc)
• Kitchen items (pots, pans, dishes, utensils)

What can’t I donate?

• Anything that is torn, stained, broken or otherwise unusable

Paperwork

• To Request furniture (for Case Managers only): Furniture Request Form (PDF)
• To Donate furniture: Furniture Donation Form (PDF)
• To Volunteer to transport furniture: Volunteer Sign-up Form (PDF)

Frequently Asked Questions

To learn more, please visit House 2 Home: FAQ’s

2009 Annual Point-In-Time Count

Interested in the state of homelessness in Whatcom County? The Point-in-Time count has the facts and figures. To open the PDF report, please click on this link: Whatcom County Homeless Count

House 2 Home Network is funded by federal stimulus dollars through the Opportunity Council and the Washington State Department of Commerce. The program is staffed through the Edward Kennedy Serve America Act 2009, providing an Americorps VISTA to build the project.

Thank you to the Johnson Real Estate Team for the use of their moving van to help us get furniture to the people who need it most!