One on One with Beth Phillips
By Gina Dostler
Summoning hope was Beth Phillips’ inspiration to transform houses into homes for children and families in crisis. Phillips, a 30-year interior designer, also recognized that old furniture removed for newly designed interiors was often simply discarded. She aimed to bring those in need together with those who had plenty and recruited other designers to help. Now she is helping veterans furnish their new homes with her non-profit organization, Furnishing Hope.
Q: Tell us a little about Furnishing Hope.
A: Furnishing Hope is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization founded in 2003 to help families in crisis furnish their homes. In December of 2010 our focus shifted to wounded heroes returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Seeing the struggle, the pain, the suffering and yet the incredible courage of these young service members made me want to help them. This was the defining moment for our organization. From this day forward, every moment of every day has been dedicated to serving our wounded heroes. We are on a mission.
Q: Which is?
A: To facilitate healing, reduce stress and encourage the overall feeling of security for wounded heroes and their families as they transition into civilian life. We accomplish this by transforming their empty spaces into peaceful and comfortable homes, with complete new furniture, mattresses, bedding, bathroom and kitchenware, which lessens the financial burden of furnishing a home.
Q: What was the defining moment?
A: We were all shocked to find out that though the military provided housing for our wounded, ill or injured soldiers, they were sent to empty homes with just a blow-up mattress. These kids are in their early 20s having come back from military duty and really didn’t know what to do, many still suffering shock from their trauma.
Q: How does the process work?
A: Each recipient of an interior designed and furnished home is referred by a partnering non-profit or military family readiness officer. We don’t provide the house. We are only involved with the interiors. We have a lot of volunteers and we go in with a color-coordinated package we bundle together in the warehouse.
Q: What do you provide?
A: We load a truck with furniture, accessories, art and supplies and our heroes and their families can literally walk in with only a toothbrush and be comfortable. A typical home furniture package would include: sofa, recliner, coffee and end tables, TV console, dining table and chairs, bedroom set with mattress, foundation and frame and bedroom sets for the children and or baby. Kitchen setups include everything to prepare, cook, serve and eat a meal and bed and bath setups include everything to sleep and shower.
Q: Is it a long process to receive your help?
A: Once we receive the referrals, it takes approximately three to four weeks. If the referral is from a hospital, we do it within a week. There are about 15 volunteers working several hours in the warehouse packing and preparing for the installation. On the installation day, six volunteers arrive at the home for approximately three hours to help set up, such as move in furniture, make the beds, unpack accessories, wash and organize kitchen supplies, etc.
Q: How do you get your funding?
A: We are privately funded through corporations, foundations and individuals in the community. In the past we utilized donated furniture or proceeds from a whole-house sale where everything in the home is pieced apart and sold to the public. Now we work more with manufactures and vendors and new in-kind donations. Having furnished over 200 homes in the last four years, we have transitioned to bulk purchases of key items such as mattresses and sofas at wholesale price points.
Q: Other funding?
A: We also do fundraising events as well and one is a home tour called Inside OC’s Finest Home that we have done for the last four years and are looking forward to our fifth one this December in a home overlooking the boat parade on Kings Lane in Newport Beach. And the furniture company Living Spaces is a major donor for us. We are excited to announce that they are committed to providing gift cards of $2,600 for up to 100 homes in 2016. Our goal is to be able to fill that request. We will furnish as many homes as we have funding for.
Q: Is your organization only in California?
A: We are located here with a warehouse in Santa Ana. But we actually have a huge waiting list to ship out of California. Our program is called Homes in a Box and we ship to 18 states through ABF freight company. We bundle up our color-coordinated packages and ship them out. It is a wonderful program. And though it takes a bit more funding, we are able to do it and that makes us very proud.
Q: What can someone do to help your organization?
A: We always need help raising funds and acquiring items that we are unable to get donated. Also hosting a baby shower for a new mother or having a garage sale and donating the proceeds to buy mattresses can be a fun and rewarding way to help.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Beth Phillips
Founder and Executive Director
Furnishing Hope
Mailing Address:
3857 Birch Street, #503
Newport Beach, CA 92660
949.644.9106
www.furnishinghope.org
beth@furnishinghope.org
