One man's trash is another man's treasure.
That's the idea behind a new furniture bank that helps turn a house into a home across the Barrie area.
"It's one thing to have a house, but if you're eating off the floor or sleeping on the floor, it's really hard to start to hope and dream about the future." Tim Kent, CEO of Redwood Park Communities, opened the Redwood Furniture Bank so that those living in subsidized housing could also afford to furnish their new space.
A local junk removal company is also stepping in to help with donating items that people no longer want, but that are reusable and don't belong in the dump.
Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman says he hopes it also prevents illegal dumping. "Furniture is one of the items that we often find dumped around the city, in parks and green areas, or tucked under a culvert or something."
The program runs like a food bank, only with larger items. Anyone can donate gently-used furniture to help multiple families every week.
The Furniture Bank doesn't accept drop-off items, making donating effortless. Click here for an estimate on having gently-used furniture picked up and to find out more.
