Houston Furniture Bank-Making empty houses homes
April 6 , 2017 was one of those Californiaweather-like days in Houston with a bright sky and breeze just right as a crowd gathered for the grand opening of the new home of the Houston Furniture Bank , a long-time partner of The Harris Center . The large new building contains an entire warehouse of furniture , a mattress recycling area , a retail outlet and the big hearts of the Houston Furniture Bank employees .
Getting to this point was no small feat . Two and a half decades of hard work , innovation and partnership have allowed the Houston Furniture Bank to serve families throughout Harris County , including quite a few consumers of The Harris Center .
The connection between the Houston Furniture Bank and The Harris Center goes back to 1992 when a housing support employee at The Harris Center , then the Mental Health Mental Retardation Authority ( MHMRA ) of Harris County , saw a void in consumers ’ residences . There were no beds , tables , chairs , sofas or other signs that they were actually homes .
That employee , Oli Mohammed , had an idea . What if the Agency found donated furniture to turn these houses into homes ? With the support of the Agency ’ s executive director , Dr . Steven Schnee , he began what became the MHMRA of Harris County Furniture Bank . “ If Dr . Schnee didn ’ t see the virtue in this , the furniture bank wouldn ’ t exist ,” said Mohammed .
The endeavor was so successful and so needed across the community that it became an independent non-profit organization known as the Houston Furniture Bank in 2003 . Mohammed became executive director of the organization , a role in which he continues today .
Throughout the last 25 years , he has expanded the Houston Furniture Bank ’ s partnerships to include more than 80
other agencies , implemented a mattress recycling program , created a public retail outlet , established relationships with major furniture franchises , developed a collaboration with local volunteers who help clients decorate their homes and , most notably , rebuilt the organization after a devastating fire that consumed its warehouse and inventory .
As Mohammed often points out , too many people in Harris County , including children , sleep on the floor because they cannot afford to buy beds . He also knows that individuals with mental illness often fall through the cracks when it comes to getting their basic needs met . Improving their living conditions is one step in the right direction .
“ We need to make a commitment that people with mental illness should not have to sleep on the floor ,” said Mohammed .
Together , the Houston Furniture Bank and The Harris Center are doing just that . Qualifying consumers of The Harris Center are able to acquire furniture from the Houston Furniture Bank as part of the support services they receive from the Agency . While The Harris Center assists with the cost of the actual furnishings , the delivery cost is covered by The Harris Center Foundation for Mental Health and IDD , formerly known as Friends of MHMRA of Harris County , when consumers are unable to pay this fee . The Harris Center Foundation is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support the work of The Harris Center beyond the limitations imposed by existing public funding streams .
“ We have a special relationship with the Houston Furniture Bank because the truth is that so many of our people need that special assistance ,” said Dr . Schnee .
With so much need in the community , the Houston Furniture Bank is always looking for anyone who is interested in donating furniture or shopping in its retail outlet to help support its endeavors . Most importantly , though , Mohammed and his team want to spread the word about how they are able to help those in need of assistance .
“ The Houston Furniture Bank ’ s ultimate mission is to make sure that no child sleeps on the floor in our city ,” said Mohammed .
For more information on the Houston Furniture Bank , call 713-842-9771 or visit houstonfurniturebank . org .
The Houston Furniture bank had a Grand Opening on April 6 , 2017 . Relive that day and hear from Oli Mohammed at : http :// bit . ly / -HoustonFurnitureBank