Circle Furniture Taking Lead in National Charitable Effort

Furniture World Magazine

Circle Furniture has been named an inaugural retailer of the Help 1 Up program, the home furnishing industry’s unified charitable effort to support furniture banks. A furniture bank is a non-profit organization which collects unwanted furnishings from the general public and provides it to people in need. Typical clients of furniture banks are women and children escaping domestic violence, families below the poverty line, victims of natural disasters, and others requiring emergency assistance. Furniture banks provide basic home furnishings such as beds, a kitchen table, and dishes. The Help 1 Up program encourages consumers to shop at participating retailers and add 1% to their next furniture purchase. The Help 1 Up program is administered by the National Furniture Bank Association (NFBA). As a pilot retailer, Circle Furniture will serve a critical role in fine tuning the Help 1 Up program by providing insight to the NFBA prior to national deployment at thousands of retail locations. Richard Tubman, an owner of Circle Furniture, said the Help 1 Up program is a great way for Circle Furniture to extend their support of community efforts. “Circle Furniture supports a number of local organizations benefiting kids,” Tubman said. “Help 1 Up provides us and our customers the opportunity to be a formative part of a national effort which will help thousands of children, in the local area and all across the country.” Each year tens of thousands of people receive donated beds, kitchen tables, dressers, dishes, and utensils from furniture banks. According to a 2004 survey of furniture bank operators, children represent the largest percentage of their service base. The tagline for Help 1 Up is “No child in America should have to sleep on the floor.” “The Help 1 Up program will do a tremendous amount of good for families and kids in need,” said Tom Polk, chairman of the NFBA. “At the same time, participating retailers benefit from increased sales and making a positive difference in peoples’ lives. Many consumers will be motivated to shop at a participating retailer, rather than a retailer that doesn’t wish to support the effort.” About Circle Furniture Circle Furniture offers unique, quality furniture for contemporary and traditional homes. Upholstered styles, such as sofas and loveseats, are all made-to-order. Customers are offered a wide selection, choosing from hundreds of furniture styles and thousands of fabric coverings, including leather and ultrasuede. Circle Furniture is a firm supporter of New England-based wood furniture manufacturers, and enjoys a reputation that includes an eclectic, contemporary selection, fast delivery times for made-to-order items, corporate philanthropy, support of the regional economy, and most of all, fun. Circle Furniture has five Massachusetts stores, located in Acton, Cambridge, Danvers, Framingham, and Hanover. Please visit Circle Furniture on the web at www.circlefurniture.com for more information. About the National Furniture Bank Association (NFBA) The NFBA is the non-profit affiliation of furniture banks. The organization’s mission is to create comfortable home environments by providing furnishings to those in need. Contact the NFBA to learn more about the Help 1 Up program, or to find out how retailers can participate. Contact Information National Furniture Bank Association Don Lawrence Vice President, Communications (800) 576-0774 dlawrence@Help1Up.org http://www.Help1Up.org Circle Furniture Richard Tubman Owner (978) 263-4509 rtubman@circlefurniture.com http://www.circlefurniture.com