Rescue heroes at work
Cleveland Furniture Bank provides unhoused families with the basics needed to thrive.
Within several weeks, Cleveland Furniture Bank had delivered 363 pieces of furniture to the families, including sofas, living room chairs, dining room tables and chairs, mattresses and box springs, bed frames, end tables, nightstands, lamps and other furniture items, as well as dishes and books for the children. The 23 children who were part of this disaster received new beds through CFB’s Beds for Kids program.
On June 23, 2025, 42 families were left homeless when Garden Valley Apartments in Cleveland exploded and caught fire. Many charitable organizations reached out to provide support to those affected by the tragedy, but none of them provided the type of support Cleveland Furniture Bank (CFB) could.
According to CFB Founder and Executive Director Tom Gaghan, the Emergency Management Office of the City of Cleveland reached out to CFB to see whether it could supply the families with furniture as they found new places to live, and he did not hesitate to say yes.
“The team from Emergency Management worked with the residents to determine what they needed to reestablish a home and then notified us,” says Tom. “Of the 42 residents, 37 were referred to receive replacement furniture and household items and 33 of those accepted help. We quickly reached out and set up appointments for them to select what they needed.”
Within several weeks, CFB had delivered 363 pieces of furniture to the families, including sofas, living room chairs, dining room tables and chairs, mattresses and box springs, bed frames, end tables, nightstands, lamps and other furniture items, as well as dishes and books for the children. The 23 children who were part of this disaster received new beds through CFB’s Beds for Kids program.
The tragedy of Garden Valley is just one example of help that CFB provides homeless individuals and families. Each year it provides an average of 12 pieces of furniture to each of over 1,300 families who are transitioning from a homeless situation.
“We rely heavily on donations,” says Tom. “If you are downsizing, remodeling, redecorating, or cleaning out a family member’s house and have surplus furniture in good, usable condition, we hope you consider donating it to us knowing you will be helping another family recover from homelessness. We will even come pick up donations.”
Cleveland Furniture Bank is a 501(c)(3) charity. Its thrift store is located at 6282 Pearl Road in Parma Heights. Call 216-459-2265, or visit ClevelandFurnitureBank.org for more information, to schedule a pickup and to donate.
Tom Gaghan, Founder and Executive Director of Cleveland Furniture Bank Thrift Store.
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