Furniture Bank was founded in 1998 by Sister Anne Schenck, CSJ, as another chapter in her long history of helping others in need. Her idea for Furniture Bank evolved from previous work by the Sisters of St. Joseph at the Herron Place Refugee Centre.
For many years, Sister Anne had been collecting furniture for refugees housed at Herron Place. When it closed, she recognized that there would still be people who needed help in re-establishing a home. With the help and guidance of Hugh Morris Q.C. and Ann Manuel, Sister Anne opened the doors to Furniture Bank, and she continues to sit on the volunteer Board of Directors today.
Through the years, Furniture Bank’s operations have expanded from 17,000 square feet at its location on Madison Avenue to the current space of 30,000 square feet on Peel Avenue. Throughout this time, Furniture Bank has developed major relationships with corporations, foundations and individual founders who continue to provide support with both financial and in-kind donations. As its expansion continues, Furniture Bank is capable of serving more clients annually with greater quality and selection in furnishings and household items. Furniture Bank expects to exceed its 2011 target of 2,500 families. The generosity of its supporters makes this possible.
Furniture Bank’s growth is due, in no small part, to the support of the media in spreading the word about the charity’s work in the community. Furniture Bank has been featured on Global Toronto regularly including their “Making a Difference” feature and public service announcements, CityTV‘s “Breakfast Television”, CTV’s “Consumer Report with Pat Foran”, Rogers Cable’s “Toronto Cares” local feature program, through announcements by Roger Ashby from CHUM and in various news reports and articles in local newspapers. This media coverage has helped promote Furniture Bank’s reputation as “Toronto’s Best Kept Secret.”
Furniture Bank operates with 24 employees, 10 full-time and 14 part-time, and a large team of dedicated volunteers. Our team of over 100 volunteers contributes more than to 1,300 hours every month serving our clients.
