Legup Program

Furniture Bank is a social enterprise. This means every part of our organization has social objectives at the heart of it.

As well as providing furnishings to those in need, we also provide employment opportunities and training through our Furniture Repair workshop and Leg Up social hire program.

The Repair Workshop

On occasion, some of the items we receive need a little TLC in order for them to be ready to be placed in their new home. Perhaps a table leg needs tightening to be steady, or a perfectly functional chair comes to us with a small tear in the upholstery.

With a bit of creativity and care, our Workshop team and volunteers rescue, repair and refurbish these items that would otherwise end up in a landfill, and make them available to families. The team will also amend some pieces to be more suitable to smaller spaces – it’s not uncommon for us to see them marrying the legs from a stool where the seat is no longer usable with a custom top made from a salvaged dining room leaf. Presto! We have a ‘new’ table, perfect for a small space.

It’s a triple win for the organization:

creating more social employment opportunities
providing more quality furnishings for our beneficiary families
diverting more items from landfills

Leg Up

Our Leg Up social hire program works with employment agencies and partners to provide work experience, life & skills training, and meaningful job opportunities to youth, newcomers to Canada and other individuals facing barriers to employment. Leg Up participants are employed in roles across Furniture Bank’s operations including positions within our warehouse, on our pickup and delivery trucks, in our repair workshop, call centre and as administrative support. After working with us, many Leg Up employees will then transition successfully to jobs in other industries and organizations.

“Before Furniture Bank I had held many jobs, from management positions to general labour, security to dishwashing. Because I could not afford to pursue formal post-secondary education after high school, my career options were limited despite having plenty of work experience. I first came to Furniture Bank as an unemployed volunteer at a crossroads in my life. From there, I worked my way up through the organization from warehouse associate to driver (crew leader), to my current role as fleet manager. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity that Furniture Bank has given me by investing in my work ethic rather than my history, and providing me with the tools to develop career skills. It has been very rewarding being able to experience and contribute to the front line of client interaction, delivering to people in need and picking up donations from people who want to help. Being able to do that while being a part of an organization that is learning and growing has been nothing short of inspiring!”

– Tom

Leg-Up Participant