TACOMA, Wash. — A Tacoma nonprofit that gives away furniture to the needy is in need itself.
Think of it as a food bank without food.
"We do it to give people hope and dignity. You don't feel very good when you've got to sleep on the floor, or you're having to eat with your child on the floor," said Bill Lemke, with Northwest Furniture Bank, a nonprofit based in Tacoma.
Lemke says donations in the past few months have dropped off dramatically.
It's a huge problem, he says, because his nonprofit tries to serve about 130 families per month.
On Friday, there were only about 25 to 30 sofas in their warehouse, in addition to about half a dozen tables.
Northwest Furniture Bank's extra warehouse is nearly empty, too.
"We need furniture. This time last year, it was packed," said Lemke.
For Ebony Adams, who lost all of her possessions in a fire last February, Northwest Furniture is helping her family recover.
"We're just starting from the bottom," said Adams.
"You feel like a failure, almost -- because everything you had is gone," she added.
Her boyfriend hopes more people donate their furniture to help.
"We didn't know how we were gonna overcome what happened," said Jamar Pollard, her boyfriend.
"So, this is a great situation right here," he said, as his family picked out furniture from the warehouse.
If you want to help, the items most needed are: dining tables, chairs, sofas, end tables, upholstered chairs and dressers.
They also need plates and silverware. Follow this link for more information.
Cox Media Group
