Furniture Bank of Central Ohio

Our Mission and Vision
The Mission of the Furniture Bank of Central Ohio is to reduce the impact of poverty by providing furniture to central Ohio families and individuals struggling with severe life challenges.
Our Vision is for all central Ohio families to live in furnished homes, thereby strengthening family units, improving quality of life and building a better community. Community collaborations and resource sharing make this possible on an ongoing basis.

The History of the Furniture Bank
The Furniture Bank of Central Ohio was established in 1998 as Material Assistance Providers (MAP) to help furnish the homes of people emerging from homelessness. Our first year of operation was in the basement of a church, and we provided furniture to 400 local families. In 2006, after a successful $1 million capital campaign, we moved into our current facility in Franklinton.
As a member of the Furniture Bank Association of North America, we are one of the largest furniture banks in the country, and have earned numerous awards for our program, including the Columbus Foundation Award in 2013.
In our 20 years of operation, we have served more than 60,000 families – totaling more than 184,000 individuals – right here in Central Ohio.
We continue our efforts with the help of over 7,000 furniture donors, 2,500 volunteers, and over 75 social service partners.

How Does It Work?
Families must be referred by one of our partner agencies. We partner with about 75 different agencies.
Every day, the Furniture Bank fills between 17-23 appointments for people in need of furniture.
The amount of furniture each family receives is dependent on their needs and the agreement the Furniture Bank has with their sponsor. On average, each family receives between 5 to 20 pieces of furniture.
Families will indicate their furniture needs to us. Furniture is then selected by staff based on the families' preferences.
Their furniture is delivered straight to their home!

Who Do We Help?
We help those who have economic challenges created by one or more of the following situations:
Single parent household with child(ren)
Physical disability or disease
Mental disability or disease
No longer able to work due to age
Criminal record or prior incarceration
History of substance abuse
Minimal job skills or training

In addition, we help families who have been affected by events or calamities, including:
Fire
Eviction
Recent relocation
Death or divorce in the family unit
Immigration
Robbery
Domestic Violence or abuse
Need to support extended family financially