Cindy Crawford, NFBA Executives, and New Orleans Citizens Gather to Celebrate

DECATUR, Georgia, March 15, 2007 /Help1Up/ --

WHAT

Rooms To Go and the non-profit National Furniture Bank Association (NFBA) are holding an event to celebrate the grand opening of the New Orleans Furniture Bank. Rooms To Go will deliver a house full of new furniture to a Kenner, Louisiana, family whose home was damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Veronica Smith is a single mother of four girls — a 3-year-old, twin 11-year-olds, and a 13-year-old.

Cindy Crawford will be make an appearance at the Rooms To Go store in Metairie. Also in attendance will be executives from Rooms To Go, the National Furniture Bank Association, the New Orleans Furniture Bank, and Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans.

The purpose of the event is to explain the assistance Rooms To Go is providing to families in need; the ongoing efforts of the National Furniture Bank Association; and the mission of the New Orleans Furniture Bank.

WHEN

Delivery of furniture to the Smith family: Saturday, March 17 2007 at 11:00 AM. Rooms To Go event: Saturday, March 17 2007 at 4:00 PM.

WHERE

The delivery of furniture to the Smith’s home will be at 1010 Webster Street in Kenner, LA 70062. The Rooms To Go event will be held at the Rooms To Go superstore at 5800 Veterans Memorial Boulevard in Metairie, LA 70003.

Background

The National Furniture Bank Association (NFBA) is the unified charitable organization of the home furnishings industry. The NFBA administers Help1Up, the completely free, socially responsible and environmentally friendly used furniture removal service for the general public. Made possible through a network of dozens of furniture banks across the country, people wishing to dispose of their gently used furniture make an appointment for a pick up, and are given a tax-deductible receipt. The furniture bank then directly provides the furniture to families in need.

Furniture banks in America provide used furniture to over 100,000 families each year. Typical clients of furniture banks are victims of natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, mothers and children escaping domestic violence, and working families living below the poverty line.

The NFBA and the Help1Up service also protects the environment. Furniture banks keep over one million pieces of perfectly usable furniture out of landfills and incinerators every year.

Rooms To Go is the nation’s largest furniture retailer. The company believes strongly in being a good corporate citizen. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Rooms To Go has donated 4,000 complete rooms of furniture to the National Furniture Bank Association. The furniture was shipped free of charge to furniture banks serving Hurricane evacuees in Atlanta GA, Houston TX, Dallas TX, Orlando FL, and Augusta GA.

Continuing to support families in need, Rooms To Go is devoting a portion of sales on Saturday, March 17 to the New Orleans Furniture Bank.

The New Orleans Furniture Bank (NOFB) quietly opened its doors in February 2007, when it obtained warehouse space in the heavily damaged east bank area, and began making home deliveries of furniture to disaster survivors throughout Greater New Orleans. An innovative partnership between an NFBA member agency and local disaster recovery organizations, the New Orleans Furniture Bank is expected to distribute thousands of pieces of donated furniture during 2007. Due to space and staffing limitations, the NOFB currently provides home delivery only (walk-in service is not available) to families referred by disaster relief and recovery organizations like Catholic Charities, Volunteers of America and the Advocacy Center. Disaster affected families who need furniture should contact their Katrina Aid Today case management agency (or call 211 for a referral).


PERSONNEL IN ATTENDANCE:

Cindy Crawford President Cindy Crawford Home

Janis Altshuler Vice President Rooms To Go

Sally Seiden Sr. Vice President Rooms To Go

Don Lawrence Executive Director National Furniture Bank Association

Kevin Polk Director New Orleans Furniture Bank

Alessandra Thomas Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of New Orleans


About the NFBA

The NFBA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the mission to increase the service capacity of existing furniture banks, and to open new furniture banks in areas without one. No child in America should have to sleep on the floor. Contact the NFBA to find a furniture bank near you or to become a sponsor.

Together, we can all make a difference.

National Furniture Bank Association (NFBA)
Don Lawrence
Executive Director