JCUA supporters gathered last week for the Grand Opening of the Chicago Furniture Bank’s new facility in Brighton Park, which was made possible in part by our Community Ventures Program. The Chicago Furniture Bank provides dignity, stability, and comfort to local families transitioning out of homelessness by allowing clients to handpick an entire home’s worth of furniture for only $50. Data suggests that those living in a furnished home are 50 percent less likely to fall back into homelessness.

JCUA recently provided a zero-interest loan to the CFB to cover costs associated with the purchase and relocation to its new facility. CFB will now be able to increase its capacity from 3,000 homes furnished per year to 5,000 homes per year — making it the largest furniture bank in the country. JCUA supporters learned from co-founders Griffin Amdur and Andrew Witherspoon about the history and operations of the organization and toured the new facility.

Learn more about JCUA’s Community Ventures Program, which is strengthening Chicago neighborhoods across the city.