In the heart of Charlotte, North Carolina, Furnish for Good is transforming lives, one home at a time. This nonprofit organization connects well-loved home furnishings to underserved individuals and families, offering hope, stability, and empowerment. By allowing participants to choose their furnishings, Furnish for Good creates a unique opportunity for individuals to build homes that reflect their personality and style, fostering a sense of ownership and pride.
Furnish for Good is one of hundreds of deserving non-profits that we donate furniture to in Charlotte on behalf of our client partners in the region.
Empowering Families Through Furniture Donations
Recently, the organization received vital support from Green Standards, the leader in sustainable workplace decommissioning. The furniture donations couldn’t have come at a better time, as Furnish for Good’s mission relies heavily on in-kind contributions to provide complete home setups for up to eight families a week. With the help of partners like Green Standards, Furnish for Good can continue offering essentials such as sofas, tables, and chairs —pieces that turn a house into a true home for those in need. Together, they are not just furnishing spaces but rebuilding lives and strengthening the community.
After facilitating multiple furniture donations from Green Standards clients in Charlotte, North Carolina, we had the opportunity to speak with Lesley Faulkner, co-founder and director of mission delivery at Furnish for Good. Lesley shared how these valuable donations are making a meaningful impact, helping the organization provide essential furnishings to underserved families and individuals in the community.
“Each piece of furniture, each delivery, and each person we’ve supported serves as a testament to the power of our mission and the dedication of all our volunteers, staff and donors!”
1. What inspired you to work in the non-profit sector?
I started volunteering at Roof Above (which is now FFG’s largest referring partner) in about 2013. I was assigned to the front desk every Friday at their day service center. I greeted our homeless neighbors, checked mail for them, signed them up for our services like using the phone, and shower, and laundry. I really loved being there because I felt I was making a difference by helping and just being kind to someone going through a really difficult time.
But not having a social work degree, I only felt I could volunteer so I did that for about 7 years. When I was presented the challenge to create Furnish for Good in 2019, I jumped at it because I knew it was something I could do that would make a difference in my community.
2. Can you share a success story or a memorable moment that resulted from this partnership?
The opportunity to work with Green Standards and receive furniture always comes at just the right time when we need items the most! Like right now, we are still using those little grey café tables. These are perfect for our participants because many of their apartments are tiny. Combined with comfy chairs, those café tables work perfectly for the families we serve!
3. What donated furniture items do you typically look for?
Sofas, upholstered chairs, coffee tables, side tables, small tables to use as dining tables, chairs to use as dining chairs. But we have also gotten office items for ourselves, like our mail sorter and some work tables!
4. How do in-kind donations benefit your organization?
We rely heavily on in-kind donations. We deliver furnishings to eight individuals or families per week so in-kind donations are necessary to make our process work! Our participants receive an entire package – sofa, chair, dresser, coffee table, side tables, dining set for four, bookshelf or desk/chair. Along with those furniture pieces are other essential items like dishware, cookware, towels and more. We aim to provide everything they need to make their home functional from day one and we want these to be nice, quality products that are in great condition! Green Standards always provides FFG with the best furniture donations!
5. Is there anything else you’d like to share with potential donors?
Furnish for Good goes beyond just handing out furniture! What we do is make that house or apartment a home. Our process of empowerment allows our participants to choose their furnishings and we believe this process is an important part of their path to success.
Our talented volunteers come three days a week and create these beautiful vignettes, which include all of the furniture, art, lamps, decorative pillows, etc… and this is how we offer packages to our clients. They can choose their favorite style, color, etc.
Furniture is our baseline and it is necessary, but donating to Furnish for Good is more than just donating furniture. It is an investment in the people of our community!
“Furnish for Good depends on donations to serve over 600 people per year. We are very particular about what we accept, aiming to offer our participants only the best items possible. The donated items are perfect for our participants because they are in great condition and just the right size for their homes. We appreciate and love working with Green Standards.”
Lesley Faulkner
CoFounder and Director of Mission Delivery
Furnish for Good
About
About Furnish for Good
Furnish for Good transforms lives by repurposing gently used furnishings into beautiful packages for individuals and families in The Charlotte Area transitioning out of homelessness, poverty, and dire circumstances. Partnering with over 30 agencies, they provide a unique and empowering experience, moving beyond traditional donation distribution to instill hope, dignity, and renewed possibilities for every person and child they serve.
About Green Standards
Capturing Value In Workplace Change
Green Standards has spent the last decade developing rigorous practices and global networks that deliver optimal value from workplace decommissioning. Our enterprise program measures and maximizes ESG performance while virtually eliminating landfill waste. A partner to the world’s largest organizations, Green Standards enables the efficient and ethical redistribution of furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) during times of workplace change.
Media Contact: Marc Borins, 1-855-632-8036
