AHFA endorses Help1Up
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, March 25, 2007
Decatur, Ga. — The American Home Furnishings Alliance has endorsed Help1Up.
Help1Up, administered by the non-profit National Furniture Bank Assn., is supported by a network of dozens of furniture banks across the country.
Furniture banks collect used home furnishings from the public, give the donor a tax-deductible receipt, then provide the furnishings free to families in need. Typical furniture bank clients are women and children escaping domestic violence, families living in poverty, and victims of natural disasters.
"The AHFA is proud to endorse Help1Up," said Andy Counts, CEO of the trade association of home furnishings manufacturers, importers and suppliers. "The industry has come together to support this socially responsible and environmentally friendly service."
According to Don Lawrence, executive director of the NFBA, Help1Up also increases sales of new furniture.
"Furniture banks annually collect 1 million items of used home furnishings from the public that may otherwise be resold in consignment stores or in classified ads. We create a vacant spot ready for a new purchase," he said.
Help1Up also keeps thousands of tons of usable furniture out of landfills and incinerators every year, he said.
Ray Allegrezza, editor in chief of Furniture/Today and a member of the NFBA board of directors, said the AHFA's endorsement is a landmark development.
"This marks the first time that the entire industry has come together in support of a singular cause," said Allegrezza. "Supporting Help1Up is a no-brainer. It's free, facilitates new furniture purchases, provides a valuable service to our customers, protects the environment, and assists tens of thousands of families in need."
Other endorsing groups are the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Assn. International, the California Furniture Manufacturers Assn., the Futon Assn. International, the Home Furnishings International Assn., the Interior Design Society, the International Home Furnishings Representatives Assn., the National Home Furnishings Assn., the North American Retail Dealers Assn., the Unfinished Furniture Assn., the Western Home Furnishings Assn., and WithIt.
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