SLUMBERLAND EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEERS DELIVER NEW BEDS TO NEEDY FAMILIES IN THIRD ANNUAL "MAKING HOMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS" PROGRAM

Furniture World Magazine

Slumberland Furniture will donate 1000 new beds to families in need throughout six states this holiday season. Through the "Making Homes for the Holidays" program, Slumberland employee volunteers deliver and set up beds for needy families in communities that Slumberland Furniture serves. The beds are new and complete, including mattress, box spring and frame. The "Making Homes for the Holidays" program reflects Slumberland's commitment to the communities it serves. The program is a partnership, beginning with Slumberland purchasing and donating the beds, a charity/social service identifying families in need, and Slumberland employee volunteers delivering and assembling the beds. The program was introduced in 1995 to the Minneapolis-Saint Paul and FargoMoorhead areas. Ken Larson, President of Slumberland, said, "Charitable organizations told us of the great need for beds among families who had found shelter but had no money for furniture and might otherwise have no choice but to sleep on a cold, hard floor. We work hard to help and support the communities we serve and this is an important need that Slumberland can help meet." In the first year, Slumberland donated more than 400 beds to needy families through a partnership with five charities. In 1996 Slumberland expanded the program to five states, donating more than 700 beds. For 1997 Slumberland again increased the scope of the program, partnering with charity/social service organizations in six states. In the Twin Cities' area more than 400 new beds will be donated to families in need with the help of the Harriet Tubman Center, Catholic Charities, the Union Gospel Mission and St. Anne's Place. "Making Homes for the Holidays" 1997 deliveries begin in November and will be completed in December. The Harriet Tubman Center, Catholic Charities, Union Gospel Mission, and St. Anne's Place help those in need through a wide range of social services, shelters, and programs in the Twin Cities. Catholic Charities' Advocacy and Outreach Division Administrator Frank Forsberg echoed the sentiments of all the charity partners, saying, "Through this program, Slumberland is helping hundreds of families in need of a bed. No person should have to sleep on the floor, and we applaud Slumberland for taking action and helping meet a great need in the communities it serves." Slumberland's Ken Larson is optimistic about the partnerships and the continued success of the program. "Through this program we can continue to help families, and especially many children, who are all deserving of a bed and a good night' sleep," said Larson, "I am especially grateful to our employees, who volunteer their time and energy to make sure these beds get to the needy families." Slumberland was founded in Richfield, Minnesota in 1967. Currently more than 50 stores in six states operate under the Slumberland name. The "Making Homes for the Holidays" program is just one of the many ways Slumberland gives back to the communities it serves throughout the year.