Honoring 9/11 heroes in a local, practical way
Ray Allegrezza, Editor in chief -- Furniture Today, September 15, 2002
As our nation and the world stopped last week to mark the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, I realized the day truly underscored the very best and worst of all that we are or hope to be.
While the attacks represented evil personified, the reaction of the countless, nameless heroes showed me the other side of the human coin — a side filled with bravery, dedication, hope and pure selflessness.
In an open letter President Bush wrote to the nation commemorating the events of 9/11, he told how firemen and policemen had written their Social Security numbers on their bodies before going into the Twin Towers. Clearly, most of these hard-nosed angels of mercy had a pretty good idea they might not be coming out alive.
We need to honor those brave souls. I remember praying for those firemen and cops as the TV cameras showed them rushing into the burning buildings. A verse from the Bible popped into my head: "Greater love than this no man has than that he lay down his life for a friend."
Imagine that level of sacrifice not for a friend, but for a total stranger.
In the days and weeks that followed, we saw a nation and a world stop, look inward and rethink their priorities. The events and aftermath of 9/11 convinced me we are a nation that sees the glass as half full, not half empty, a nation of burning candles, not cold ashes, a nation that ultimately will do the right thing and reach out in hope to help, not harm.
You can do something to make this planet a better place, and you can do it on a local level.
Gary Bryant of AP Inds. is doing just that. He had some excess furniture in a warehouse that was collecting dust and costing dollars. He created the ultimate win-win-win situation by partnering with Habitat for Humanity, the group that helps build houses for low-income families, placing about $140,000 worth of furniture on consignment with Habitat.
Sue Wood, Habitat's executive director for the High Point, Archdale and Trinity, N.C., district, said the Habitat store in High Point sells the furniture and splits the proceeds with AP Inds.
"It's been a great partnership," Wood said. "AP no longer has to pay for storage, it gets some of the proceeds of the sale, and we do as well."
Last month, AP's generosity translated into $30,000 in Habitat's till. The store also sells accessories, lighting and other home furnishings. If you have excess inventory, why not give Sue a call at (336) 887-8388 and help a worthy cause? AP delivered the goods to Sue's warehouse, but if you can't, Habitat has a truck and will come get it.
"Once families have the security of a home, the workers in the family miss less days at work, the kids do better in school and communities become much more stable," Wood said.
This is something that we all should support. I urge our industry to continue to be beacons of light!
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