WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA -- Two organizations are teaming up to help furnish homes for displaced victims of Hurricane Florence.

  • They identify families in need based on referrals
  • They ask for their top three needs and hope to reach as many of those as possible
  • More donations are needed in order to reach more people

The owners and founders of Furniture Finders, Incorporated and House of Provision came together to help replace some of the items that were ruined in the hurricane.

"The basics initially," said Livian Jones, Furniture Finders, Inc. Owner. "We also want to create and be able to have them feel normal again with getting accessories and personalizing their homes."

For these homes, whether they are permanent or temporary, typical household items are a necessity.

"Families are displaced," said Hooper Patterson, House of Provision Owner. "They're in rental homes, or they're staying with friends while their homes are being repaired, and when they do move into rentals, they don't have any furniture."

Patterson, with a background in interior design, and Jones, with a background in construction, said they want to make people as comfortable as they can in these unfortunate situations.

They identify families in need based on referrals from public agencies, non-profits, social networks, and more. When they get in contact with a family, they ask for their top three needs and hope to reach as many of those as possible.

"For example we had one family... one of them said a dining table because it's really important to me to sit down with my family at night, all of us together and eat dinner," said Patterson.

With requests like these coming in, Patterson said they need more donations in order to reach more people.

"We're taking all furnishings, accessories, lamps. We're not taking anything like soiled and appreciate people that are able to bring it to us and drop off," Jones said.

Other items on their list: slightly used mattresses, couches, dining room tables, and lamps - all in good condition and from smoke-free environments.

Their warehouse is at 6832-4 Market Street, where they will be taking donations on Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Any people interesting in volunteering with the organization and sign up through their Facebook group.

 

 

 

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