Ashley Furniture Supports ‘For Others’ to Fund CarePortal

May 18, 2023  by HFBusiness Staff in Business Strategy, Industry   

The national home furnishings retailer has donated $50,000 to For Others to fund CarePortal, an innovative care-sharing app that helps caseworkers in Wayne County and other parts of the country keep families together by connecting the needs of children in crisis with those who can help.

Launched in 2015, CarePortal allows caseworkers to input the needs of a foster care or at-risk child into the free, care-sharing app. Churches, businesses and individuals who sign up for the app receive a real-time notification of the child’s specific needs and how they can help.

For Others, a CarePortal funding partner, aims to prevent children from entering foster care and support those affected by the system.

“The technology is gradually transforming a disconnected, reactive and expensive system to one of real-time care connections for kids and families in crisis,” explains says David Nasser, president of For Others. “So many care about these issues and want to help, but they just don’t know how.”

In a related announcement, Ashley has donated 100 new beds and bedding items to For Others for distribution to Wayne County foster and at-risk children without a bed to call their own. 

For Others and its local Wayne County partners will facilitate a bed delivery when notice of a need for a new bed appears in the CarePortal app. Each new bed will be delivered with new sheets, comforter, pillow and duffle bag.

For Others partners with outstanding organizations to provide holistic solutions to the foster care crisis. The organization aims to prevent children from entering foster care, provide for kids in the system, and preserve families forever.

It also helps young adults aging out of the system create meaningful relationships and a solid foundation for adult life.

“Every child deserves the gift of sleep,” says Rebecca Peech, community & engagement marketing specialist for Ashley. “The beds will be warehoused locally so they can get to the child as soon as a need is reported on the app, and in some cases the very the same day.”

There are approximately 10,000 foster children in the state of Michigan, according to Michigan.gov and Michigan Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). About 2,800 live in Wayne County.

According to CarePortal, every year over 400,000 children are removed from their homes and placed in an overburdened foster care system.

“We’re grateful for Ashley’s support as we work to strengthen families, support safe reunification, stabilize temporary foster and kinship placements, and accelerate timely permanence for children,” Nasser adds.

Ashley’s Purpose With Purchase program also earmarks a portion of in-store purchases to one of four organizations, including For Others, dedicated to helping children in crisis and improving global health.