Fatima | A Sofa as a Sanctuary
Looking to donate furniture? Let Fatima’s story of how Chair-ity turned her empty apartment into a home compel you to donate your gently used furniture to a youth aging out of the foster care system.
All youth who receive furniture from Chair-ity are referred by one of Chair-ity’s community partners -- a county social worker, Bridges program liaison, or youth navigator. Fatima’s Bridges program liaison referred her to Chair-ity. Fatima recalls, “I did not have much furniture in my apartment before you came.” This is a common occurrence for many youth aging out of foster care. Unlike their peers who might receive furniture hand-me-downs or newly purchased furniture from family, emancipated youth have few resources. Fatima and other youth aging out of foster care lack this extended network of support. Fatima stated, “Something I faced when starting to live on my own was that I did not know what I was going to do for furniture.” By accessing this donated furniture, she was able to quickly outfit her whole apartment instead of saving for months to afford enough furniture. Chair-ity bridges the gap that many foster youth experience when starting out on their own by providing new beds and gently used donated furniture.
Fatima was pregnant when Chair-ity delivered and set up the furniture in her apartment. Her two favorite items are the sofa and the crib for her awaited baby. She explained that “The couches allow me to have something to sit on and be productive in the living room instead of being isolated in my room.”
“It was helpful to have the crib when my baby came, because it released the pressure about making sure that I got something. I had it in the apartment ahead of time and did not have to worry about getting it at the last moment. By having furniture and the crib donated, I was able to save up my money to buy other items for the baby.”
Fatima discussed the challenges of moving into an apartment and starting independent living at 18 years of age. She admits she was very stressed and anxious about getting everything done to have her apartment ready for her baby plus doing it by herself. Chair-ity worked with Fatima to select furniture to meet her needs. Comprehensive service coordination and furniture delivery set Chair-ity apart from other organizations.
When asked what her biggest piece of advice is to other youth who are going through the same process Fatima said, “To take things one step at a time. Do not overwhelm yourself.” Chair-ity is helping Fatima and other young adults aging out of foster care to empower them and get them on their feet so they can independently “work their way up.”
Fatima enthusiastically stated that, “Chair-ity made my apartment homey instead of empty!” Chair-ity is committed to creating that ‘home’ to help emancipated youth transition to successful independence.