Household Goods of Acton celebrated 35 years of furnishing homes for people in need with an Oktoberfest party on October 22. The event, held at its headquarters at 530 Main Street, recognized volunteers, staff, and donors for their contributions to the nonprofit’s success. Over 200 people turned out for the occasion, which featured finger food, beer donated by Rapscallion Table & Tap, German wine sampling, jazz music by the Dave Fox Trio, and a lively auction.
As recounted on their website, Household Goods began in 1990 when Ira and Barb Smith of Acton collected donations of basic household items for a Salvadoran refugee family. The couple soon realized many others in the area needed help furnishing empty apartments and houses, and appealed to surrounding communities for donated goods. The collection of usable goods that began in a local church basement expanded over the years to fill 28,000 square feet of storage and operational space. Since its start, Household Goods has outfitted 60,000 homes with a million items. Last year alone, it furnished 3,100 homes.
Finding affordable housing is only part of the solution for people transitioning from living in a shelter or on the streets. “People are often surprised that housing is mostly unfurnished,” says Sharon Martens, Executive Director of Household Goods. “Housing isn’t enough. A house without furniture is really not a home.”
Today Household Goods provides essential furnishings for people who are homeless, escaping domestic violence, immigrants, veterans, and victims of fires or floods. With a referral from a social service agency, such as a shelter, hospital, or school, people are eligible to select free items from the Household Goods showroom to take home.
During the 35th anniversary event, Sylvia Kelly, Housing Stabilization Advocate for the City of Cambridge, spoke about the impact of Household Goods. She noted that true to its grassroots origins, Household Goods is a lean-run organization that depends on its 1,600 volunteers. “The Board of Directors, the staff, and the volunteers are the best,” she said. “Everyone here is making it happen.” She emphasized that they help people “where they’re at in life. There’s no judging.”
To ensure Household Goods can continue to furnish homes for people in need, free of cost, the organization has launched the “Furnish the Future” fundraising campaign. The goal of the campaign is to raise $1 million in giving over the next three years. To kick off the fundraising effort, a live auction was held at the community event in which participants waved numbered paddles to make donations of specific amounts. In addition, 15 baskets of goods, donated by local businesses and individuals, were displayed in a silent auction and sold to the highest bidder. Funds raised at the event more than met the Board of Directors’ pledged match of $70,000.
Would you like to donate good quality furniture or other household items? Drive-up and drop-off donations are accepted Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 9-12 at 530 Main Street in Acton. For further information, see the general donation guidelines, and list of urgent requests.
To donate funds, go to: https://www.householdgoods.org/donate-funds/
Nancy Knoblock Hunton is a volunteer writer for the Acton Exchange, with a background in health and science writing.
