AHFA Endorses Help1Up

March 1, 2007  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in on March 2007 The American Home Furnishings Alliance has endorsed Help1Up, the home furnishings industry’s free used furniture removal service.

Help1Up is administered by the non-profit National Furniture Bank Association. Dozens of furniture banks across the country collect used home furnishings from the general public, give the donor a tax-deductible receipt, then provide the furnishings directly to families in need.

Typical furniture bank clients are women and children escaping domestic violence, families living below the poverty line, and victims of natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina.

“The AHFA is proud to endorse Help1Up,” said Andy Counts, AHFA’s chief executive officer. “The industry has come together to support this socially responsible and environmentally friendly service.”

According to Don Lawrence, executive director of the NFBA, Help1Up also increases sales of new furniture.

“Furniture banks annually collect 1 million items of used home furnishings from the public that may otherwise be resold in consignment stores or in classified advertisements,” he said. “We create a vacant spot ready for a new purchase.”

Help1Up has “green” appeal, as well, keeping thousands of tons of usable furniture out of landfills and incinerators every year.

“This marks the first time that the entire industry has come together in support of a singular cause,” said Ray Allegrezza, editor-in-chief of Furniture/Today and an NFBA board member. “Supporting Help1Up is a no-brainer. It’s free, facilitates new furniture purchases, provides a valuable service to our customers, protects the environment, and assists tens of thousands of families in need.”

Other endorsing industry associations include: Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer’s Association International; California Furniture Manufacturers Association; Futon Association International; Home Furnishings International Association; Interior Design Society; International Home Furnishings Representatives Association; National Home Furnishings Association; North American Retail Dealers Association; Unfinished Furniture Association; Western Home Furnishings Association; and Women in the Home Industries Today.