In search of better employment opportunities, Ranju moved to Canada in October 2018 from Dubai, where he had lived for the past 30 years. Ranju says, “I left with nothing more than a small suitcase, a few documents and a whole lot of hope.”

Ranju and a friend were able to secure an apartment after a month of looking, but lacked the resources to furnish the space. Without family or friends to lean on for help, Ranju says he felt very alone.

Six months passed,and Ranju continued to live with nothing more than a mattress and a few Ikea chairs. Eventually, the Learning Enrichment Foundation put Ranju in touch with Furniture Bank.

“I didn’t know what to expect when I first set foot in the showroom, but I immediately felt comfortable and welcomed by the staff,” Ranju says. “The volunteer who helped my friend and I was like our own personal shopper. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m terrible with design and matching decor so having someone there to make suggestions and help us pick items that matched was really touching. It was these extra touches that made the experience so memorable.”

His selected furniture arrived the following day, and Ranju says “having a full house brings a lot of good change to your life.”

“The whole experience really touched me and motivated me to return the favour as soon as I could. Experiencing help from an organization like Furniture Bank who does so much good for the community unlocked a sense of purpose in life that I hadn’t experienced before.”