While Home Again is not specifically a ministry of the Anglican Church, it was founded by members of the Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland & Labrador, and its offices are housed within 22 Church Hill, which also houses the diocesan offices and those of the Anglican Joint Committee. We continue to work very closely with Home Again, and see that as the natural expression of our Christian faith in action in our world today.
-Emily F. Rowe
Editor, Anglican Life
Ashley was a new mom when her partner suddenly passed away and she was forced to leave her home–ending up in the shelter system unable to care for her only son.
“When my partner passed, I turned to things I probably shouldn’t have, I placed my son with his dad and ended up in the waterford.”
When she was finally able to receive assistance in finding housing she discovered that all her belongings at a storage facility had been sold off and she was left with nothing to start over again.
Before Home Again, Ashley’s apartment was a patchwork of scarce items that she had managed to find or been given by kind neighbours. But she still didn’t have a bed or any other furniture for her son, which meant custody wasn’t possible. With the help of Home Again and donated furniture, Ashley was finally able to welcome her son back and give him the home he deserved.
“It means a lot to me to wake up in the morning and make him breakfast and eat at a table together,” said Ashley.
Sadly, we hear these stories too often from parents who aren’t able to have custody while they wait for furniture. And often enough, these parents are also sleeping on a makeshift bed themselves. Our volunteers have seen yoga mats, sleeping bags, folded cardboard boxes, even a wooden pallet with a piece of foam rolled on top, being used as beds by people in our region.
This is why our annual Heads Without Beds fundraiser is so monumental in changing not only homes but also the lives of hundreds of families and individuals every year. Over the past year, Home Again has seen a 24% increase in requests for furniture. With over 100 households on the waitlist, currently the organization is facing demand beyond comparison.
During the month of March, Home Again invites community members to join together and fight furniture poverty in our region through the Heads Without Beds fundraiser. You can support your neighbours by creating a team with your family, colleagues or church group, joining as an individual, or even sponsoring a participant who will sleep without their bed for one night.
“I know the importance of Home Again’s work in the region because my family was helped. I participate in Heads Without Beds, along with my son, because it’s an important lesson about not taking our comforts for granted and giving back where we can.” – Karly MacLeod, volunteer and community participant
Every day, Home Again Furniture Bank receives new requests for items as basic as a bed to sleep in and a table to share a meal around. And every week, our volunteers deliver life-changing furniture to people throughout the Northeast Avalon region. Your support will ensure more people like Ashley and her son will receive a bed to sleep in and the possibility of a better life.
The generosity of the members of the Anglican Foundation of Canada will be a tremendous help to those waiting for a bed. To learn more about how you can make a life-changing impact on the lives of our neighbours visit our website www.headswithoutbeds.ca or chat to our team member, Maureen.
Maureen Lymburner, Director of Development
(709) 325-0072
[email protected]
