20°c A few clouds
7°c Sunny
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Loss of funding leaves used-furniture charity in limbo
Hands of Hope's Charles Norris says his charity helped 1,700 families last year. (RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store
A Winnipeg charity that collects used furniture for people in need has lost a major source of funding and must reduce most of its operations.
For 12 years, Hands of Hope has delivered furniture to people who can't afford to buy furniture. Earlier this month, it found out it won't receive the $100,000 grant it has been getting from the Winnipeg Housing and Homelessness Initiative, which will all but end their charity.
"We were not chosen this year," said Charles Norris, who started the charity with his wife, Sandra, in January 2000.
Norris said Hands of Hope got its start while he was chairing a World Vision program through his church to get people to help others in their community.
"We found out almost all the needs were for furniture and nobody was willing to do it," he said. "We started out taking stuff out of our own house, and then others started."
Norris said on any given day, Hands of Hope gets 100 phone calls from people looking for help -- seniors who are sleeping on the floor, refugees who arrived with nothing but the clothes on their back, a homeless man who won't be released from the hospital until he can find a roof over his head and a bed.
Last year, about 1,700 families were helped by Hands of Hope.
The charity has had to lay off four of its five staff, meaning there is nobody to pick up and deliver the furniture. After Sept. 30, the charity won't be doing much and its warehouse will sit mostly empty.
Norris hopes to get donations from the private sector or the general public to try to keep the furniture moving.
Hands of Hope has received differing amounts of funding from the federal government via the homelessness program since about 2003.
Dave Dessens, Winnipeg housing policy co-ordinator for the city, said there was not enough money for all the projects that applied for funding.
"We did receive a lot of great proposals that weren't quite as good as the ones above them," he said.
There was about $6.5 million to distribute for designated projects. There were 42 proposals received and 26 of them were approved by a community advisory board.
"I wish everybody could have received funding," Dessens said.
mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 21, 2012 B2
More Latest News
- Back to Top
- Return to Latest News
Poll
Most Popular Latest News
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Winnipeg woman camps out in front of legislature to protest child welfare
- New owner for lumber stores
- Peeping Tom portrayed as sexual deviant in court
- 87-year-old woman tells jurors, 'Somebody had to stand up to' Donald Trump
- Two men now facing first-degree murder charges in Tim Bosma test drive death
- Famous city grocer loved job, customers
- Man killed after test drive a regular guy, and it cost him his life: widow
- Man shot to death in Fla. while being questioned in Boston Marathon bombing investigation
- 87-year-old woman tells jurors, 'Somebody had to stand up to' Donald Trump
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Woman killed in head-on crash in southwestern Manitoba
- Horrific crash kills minivan driver near Brandon
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Winnipeg woman camps out in front of legislature to protest child welfare
- Rainfall warning issued for southern Manitoba
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Seattle man dribbling soccer ball to Brazil killed by car on Oregon Coast
- 87-year-old woman tells jurors, 'Somebody had to stand up to' Donald Trump
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Driver crashes into tree near golf course
- Arrests made after raids on local head shops
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- News of city's $17-million winner leaks out on FB
- Passengers from diverted flight to leave Winnipeg Thursday night
- No threat from bag found at Winnipeg Square
- Susan Griffiths dies in Switzerland
- New owner for lumber stores
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Famous city grocer loved job, customers
- Developers to unveil plans for bold downtown tower
- Order of Manitoba recipients announced
- Paying bills and consumer consumption hurting Canadians' ability to save: study
- MP Bruinooge says Bill 18 could infringe on religious freedoms
- Horrific crash kills minivan driver near Brandon
- Two charged in golf course burglary
- Creative industries can fuel a city's economic engine
- New owner for lumber stores
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Marsh Madness: Photographers Fred Greenslade and Joe Bryksa capture spring migration's grandeur at Delta Marsh
- Horrific crash kills minivan driver near Brandon
- Prominent Canadians back petition to rename Victoria Day to honour aboriginals
- Famous city grocer loved job, customers
- Animals are animals, new ads say
- Skin picking gets status as distinct disorder, should help sufferers access help
- Order of Manitoba recipients announced
- New owner for lumber stores
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Dogs can experience separation anxiety and depression just like humans
- Ontario steps in to help save ELA
- Saskatchewan professor wants to test the health benefits of nose-picking
- 'Revenge of the redheads': Ginger-haired Montrealers gather in celebration
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Passengers from diverted flight to leave Winnipeg Thursday night
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.