Industry efforts continue for hurricane relief
Several groups contribute
Powell Slaughter -- Furniture Today, September 7, 2005
HIGH POINT -- The furniture industry continues to pitch in with efforts to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina.
We reported on a number of relief efforts Tuesday (see previous story) and have learned of more since then. Here is a summary of the latest initiatives. If you know of others, click here to email information to Furniture/Today.
* Jackie Hirschaut, communications director for the American Home Furnishings Alliance, said the trade association is working to develop the types of relief efforts it has put together in the wake of other natural disasters.
“As an association, we coordinated manufacturers’ relief programs for Hurricane Floyd when it hit the Carolinas” in 1999, she said. “We started last week to organize a grassroots effort among our membership to provide some type of services to the victims.”
* Today, Ashley Furniture Inds. gave $1.1 million to the American Red Cross. Company executives and representatives from Ashley HomeStores presented the check to Donald Paxton, executive director of the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, at the company’s complex in Ecru, Miss.
* In addition to a bottled-water drive in its hometown of Bassett, Va., for Hurricane Katrina’s victims, Bassett Furniture Inds. organized an effort among its store network and with the Harris Teeter grocery chain to assist employees of the Bassett Furniture Direct location in Gulfport, Miss., which suffered damage from the storm.
“We sent out an email to our dealer network, and through that purchased a truckload of groceries that we sent down Saturday (Sept. 3) on one of our tractors,” said Jay Moore, Bassett’s director of corporate communications. “We’re also about half-way to filling up the tractor for our water drive, as well. We’re in communication with the Red Cross to send that where it’s most needed.”
* In addition to participation in the National Furniture Bank, the Tupelo Furniture Market is working to provide storm-victim relief on several fronts, said Erin Gapen, marketing director.
“Working with the Red Cross, we’ve set up a distribution center in Building 6 of the Tupelo Complex where we’re collecting clothing, shoes, toiletries and other necessities for delivery to people affected by Katrina,” she said.
The market also is putting an established network of local residents who offer housing during the Tupelo markets to work in finding temporary accommodation for displaced people.
“We’re using our host-home program to donate homes or rooms for people to stay,” Gapen said. “We not only have our usual participants, but a lot of people who don’t rent homes at market who want to help.”
In addition, the Tupelo market has opened its parking areas to recreational vehicles donated by individuals in other parts of the country. Those RVs provide storm victims with a place to stay, and Tupelo market has provided electrical and sanitation hook-ups at no charge.
* Retail automation vendor Profitsystems bought a trailer load of water, batteries and cleaning supplies and sent it to the New Orleans area Sept. 1. The company also has contacted retail clients to offer support dealing with insurance companies and getting operations back up and running.
* Grand Furniture, Virginia Beach, Va., is sending two truck trailers with bedding, clothing, food, water and other supplies. Helping in the effort are Ashley Furniture, which is providing a trailer, and bedding manufacturers King Koil of Norfolk, Va., Symbol of Richmond, Va., and Spring Air of Greensboro, N.C.
* W.S.Badcock Corp., Mulberry, Fla., will donate $50,000 to the Red Cross and Salvation Army to benefit survivors. In addition, the company will match contributions from its employees. Members of the management team will contribute a percentage of their annual salaries. Badcock also will work with national relief organizations to help provide jobs and housing for displaced families.
* Royal Sleep Products Ltd. in Fort Worth, Texas, dedicated a portion of its manufacturing day on Friday to making more than 300 mattresses and shipping them to shelters for Katrina victims in Baton Rouge, La., and in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
* Dallas-based American Leather will match any cash donations made by its employees. The custom upholstery specialist also is making an effort to donate furniture to hurricane refugees who have been relocated to the Dallas area.
“We are trying to see if we can donate furniture for those apartments that have been set aside for them,” said Cary Benson, co-president and chief marketing officer of American Leather.
* Wicker and rattan furniture importer Padma’s Plantation plans to donate 1% of the proceeds from sales at the upcoming High Point market to a charity helping hurricane victims. Then it will help furnish a home built as part of the rebuilding blitz planned by Habitat for Humanity.
“When we look back at 2005, we have been involved in a lot of charities,” said Padma’s Chief Operating Officer Kevin Sypolt, who expects the company’s sales to be up about 18% this year. “It has been a good year business wise and we have been able to share some of that.”
* Furniture|Today’s parent company, Reed Business Information-U.S., has donated $25,000 for hurricane relief to the American Red Cross and is organizing an employee fund drive.
*News Editor Jay McIntosh, Leather Editor Joan Gunin and Editor-In-Chief Ray Allegrezza contributed to this report.
