Haverty Furniture Donates $200,000 For Hurricane Relief Efforts

Furniture World Magazine

In a special ceremony held today, Havertys representatives presented a $116,000 check to Mr. Tim English, president of the Georgia Chapter of the American Red Cross. This gift, combined with others made to victims of the Gulf Coast hurricanes, brought the Company's contributions for relief efforts to $200,000. In the aftermath of Katrina, the Company announced to its employees across the 17 states in which it operates a new 'Havertys Helps' campaign to raise funds for the victims. In that campaign Havertys' associates throughout the chain, including those in the stores, the distribution centers and in the corporate offices, contributed $58,000. The Company then matched that amount dollar-for-dollar to generate the $116,000 donation to the American Red Cross. In a separate but related effort, the Havertys distribution system moved $84,000 worth of much needed bedding products to the Gulf Coast states affected by the devastating storms. These products, donated by the Company, were distributed directly to needy families and individuals by Havertys employees and managers in concert with the Salvation Army. "We are very proud of our employees for the gracious and energetic way that they supported the 'Havertys Helps' campaign," said Clarence H. Smith, president and CEO of Havertys. "We challenged everyone to be as generous as possible by pledging a Company matching grant and were pleased with the results," he said. Havertys' chairman, Clarence H. Ridley, who also serves on the Board of the Metro Atlanta Chapter of the Red Cross, added, "We value our presence in all of the communities where we have employees, customers and stores. We consider these contributions to be our civic duty in this time of need." Steve Burdette, senior vice president of operations for the Company, recognized the special efforts of Havertys' distribution associates. "It was a strong effort to move the amount of bedding that we did into the Gulf Region at a time when transportation and logistics were a real challenge for everyone. I am very proud of our people." Havertys is a full-service home furnishings retailer with 118 showrooms in 17 states in the Southern and Midwestern regions providing its customers with a wide selection of quality merchandise in middle- to upper-middle price ranges. Additional information is available on the Company's website at www.havertys.com.