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Furniture bank gives fresh starts to
homeless
Front Page
Scottsdale/Mesa Tribune
Thanksgiving Day 11/22/2007
Natekar,
Tribune
The answers to some prayers come upholstered — in
florals, in orange fabric, in black leather. And Jim and Donna Piscopo,
working out of an old meatpacking plant in west Mesa, help bring those
answers to people in need of a fresh start —
and a fresh apartment.
Three years ago, the Piscopos quit their jobs and gave up their
Scottsdale house to start Bridging AZ Furniture Bank, an organization
that provides furniture to people coming out of homelessness, domestic
violence and other hardships.
“When these women leave the shelter, they have nothing,” said Jim
Piscopo, adding that the lack of furniture — along with the lack of
startup funds — is one of the main reasons women may stay with an
abuser.
To provide furnishings, he explained, is to provide a way for a person
who’s starting over to plant roots and to heal.
“Furniture has the ability to help families, to help them bond as a
family,” said Averelle Levings, the organization’s development director.
For example, one of the things case workers suggest to healing families
— sitting down around the dinner table and communicating — relies on the
family’s need for a table and chairs.
Furniture creates a healthier environment all-around, she said.
When clients come to the warehouse, located in a nondescript brick
building just north of Main Street, a case worker and staff member take
them into the warehouse, where they can choose furniture from an
inventory of sofas, armoires, tables, dining sets, beds and other items.
“I have families that have really struggled and have done really good,
but they don’t have the extras, so they live in an apartment with
absolutely nothing,” said Denise Ruiz, a caseworker with the Family
Builder Program.
“They might have a chair or maybe a mattress. This, especially with
families with children, furnishes the home so they can have their own
bed, their own dresser, a place to sit to eat dinner. It helps the
family get united again and keeps them on their feet.”
Ruiz said there isn’t a similar program anywhere in the Valley, and she
would love to see it expand.
The Piscopos’ story started when they enrolled in a four-year “education
for ministry” program at St. Barnabas on the Desert Episcopal Church in
Paradise Valley.
“After this, we felt a little empty. It prepared us for the mind-set of
ministry ... to really walk the talk,” said Jim, who had been
volunteering at a domestic violence shelter in Chandler.
While there, Jim saw caseworkers trying to store furniture for their
clients. He was surprised to learn that when the women moved into their
new apartments they weren’t given any furnishings.
He bought a dining room set for $35 at a rummage sale and gave it to
them. Before long, his activity was growing: Friends gave him couches or
dressers which he kept in a storage locker.
Then, a friend donated office space to provide him
with more room.
In 2003, at Christmas, Jim decided to give up his contractor license.
Then the couple did something else: “We knew we’d need money. So we
sold our house to provide living expenses for three years,” Jim said.
Since those humble beginnings, they’ve grown.
They operate by soliciting furniture and money from individuals and from
local businesses.
So far, both have been generous. Between individual donations, estates
and local businesses, they’ve helped more than 325 clients since 2004.
“I think it was apparent we were filling a niche,” Donna said. “And
people get a kick out of what we do. It’s fun. It’s so much fun.”
Recently, the Piscopos have noticed a new customer group coming in, too
— grandparents who are caretakers of their grandchildren. These people,
often on fixed incomes, don’t have the money to buy new bedroom sets for
their grandchildren, Jim said.
For that, the couple is launching a “Buy a kid a bed,” campaign, raising
money to purchase 5,000 children’s bunk beds in five years.
It takes $60 to pay for half a bunk set. From now, until the end of the
year, a private donor has agreed to match any financial donations to the
furniture bank up to $25,000.
The organization has received some big-time honors, too.
The Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce recently awarded the furniture
bank the prestigious Sterling Award for a nonprofit business.
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