I received a call last week from someone who had seen the Jubilee Furniture truck and was curious as to who we were and what we did. I love talking about both Jubilee Furniture and Outreach Community Ministries and so happily started doing so when this caller interrupted me with…
“Did you say you have service sites in Wheaton, Warrenville and Carol Stream?”
“Yes I did.”
“HA – that’s ridiculous! Those are wealthy communities with little to no need for any help.”
“Actually, though there are areas of great wealth in DuPage County there are also…”
“Thank you for your time.”
As I sat amazed that I had just been hung up on I also found myself mad that I couldn’t explain how great the need really is and how important every donation* and every sale is.
In the last year Outreach helped:
- stabilize 1,532 families in crisis
- 423 at-risk youth engaged in positive activities
- 2,156 people attend community events
And the hardest part of these statistics are the larger number of those we couldn’t help due to lack of funds.
We aren’t lacking anything at the furniture store this week! Inventory is large and selection is fabulous! Don’t let a little snow stop you from coming in either today from 1 to 8 or tomorrow from 9 to 4!
What follows are photos of SOME of the new-to-us furniture which was donated this week:
totally fun animal print fabric covered chaise in excellent condition priced $195
and another animal print fabric on this ottoman priced $35
sweet round side table – there are two of them – priced $25 each
wicker and metal wine rack for $25
gorgeous table priced $95
here’s another really interesting table – the top lifts for easy storage – though who’d want to store such a pretty table, I don’t know! – can anyone tell me what the holes around the perimeter of the table top are for? – priced $175
super nice Child Craft dresser priced $135
two 7’ tall (30” wide) bookcases priced $75 each (Tricia – these are the ones I emailed you about)
nice trestle table with one leaf – top has some damage – priced $95
there’s something about this square coffee table that I love – priced $40
I labeled this neat piece “half of a sofa” and priced it $75
fabulous credenza – would make an excellent media cabinet – priced $145
very pretty blue sofa for $195; matching chair for $95; black painted night stands (there are two of them showing back-to-back in this photo – missing some hardware) priced $85 each
oak barrister bookcase priced $135
here’s another cool piece that I’m not 100% sure what it is – it’s heavy, the round pieces are made of stone (granite?) and the metal supporting them is also heavy – one of my volunteers thinks it’s a plant stand and I couldn’t come up with anything better – so plant stand it is! – priced $50
amazing retro side chairs priced $85 each
cool round end table with glass top for $40
café height table with one leaf and four chairs priced $245
IKEA desk/table with half moon piece that can be placed anywhere on the surface (in other words, it’s not attached to the top) priced $65
gorgeous dresser with hinged mirror in top drawer – priced $195
glass topped sofa or hall table priced $75; magazine holder for $3
two zero gravity outdoor chaises for $45 each; four nice stackable outdoor chairs for $80 for all four
Weber Spirit gas grill priced $75 – retails for $399 and our price includes a cover which retails for $50! Clean this puppy up and you have a very nice grill!
nice table with one leaf priced $125
lovely make-up table for $80
cool wingback chairs priced $75 each
we received some neat artwork this week – this piece is priced $35
very nice table, one leaf and four chairs for $195
I love the colors of this sleeper sofa for $135
wonderful leather rocker/recliner with fabulous nail-head trim – but, oh no!, one of the seams is coming undone! – priced $85
If only my caller had stayed on the line a bit longer I could have convinced him of the big need within Carol Stream, Wheaton and Warrenville for the programs and services offered through Outreach Community Center, Wheaton Youth Outreach and Warrenville Youth and Family Services (the three service sites under the Outreach Community Ministries umbrella).
I could have wowed him with the fact that each month at Jubilee Furniture :
- volunteers average 500 hours of work
- our warehouse guys make – on average – 95 donation pickups
Why?
- People believe in the work of Outreach
- You can make a difference – and collectively that can be huge
- The free cookies
What?! You thought it was all self-sacrificing, dear reader?
* though I appreciate every call – we do screen our donations looking for furniture and household items which fall into a good-to-excellent category and do not accept all donations. Click here for a list of “no, thank you”s.
