Ethos and New Life Furniture Bank of MA help Roslyn Apartments resident Pauline furnish her home!
When Valéria Souza, Ethos’ Resident Service Coordinator, met Pauline for the first time, she noticed that her apartment was very sparely furnished. Pauline is a resident at the Roslyn Apartments, a Boston Housing Authority property where Valéria works once per week to help residents connect with services and resources. Valéria learned that Pauline had been homeless for ten years before moving to Roslyn, and set out to assist Pauline with furnishing her cherished apartment.
Valéria noticed, in particular, that Pauline was in need of a new mattress and box spring, and to obtain these items she reached out to Laura Stanton at New Life Furniture Bank of MA. New Life Furniture Bank of MA is a nonprofit that helps individuals in transition from homelessness with gently used furniture such as beds, chairs, dressers and other household items.
New Life Home Furnishing was able to supply the furniture – including a dresser, tables, and lamps – but Valéria and Pauline still needed a way to move it from the warehouse to Roslyn. With the support of the Ethos “Little Necessities Fund” and Valéria’s help, Pauline was able to book and pay for a U-Haul truck and on the day of her appointment, Pauline was assisted by her Roslyn neighbors Katie and Sultan as well as another of Katie’s relatives. Sultan drove the truck, and Katie and her relative helped load and unload the furniture. Valéria also pitched in, helping the volunteer team unload the U-Haul at Roslyn!
Pauline said “I came to Massachusetts in 1956 with my husband. I worked as a housekeeper for 10 years and was a Mom to 2 sons and 2 daughters. I was born and raised in South Carolina. I had to work on a farm with my family. It was hard work. We were sharecroppers. When my husband passed away, I had to stop working so I could care for my children. Money was very tight. Before I moved into Roslyn, I was homeless for about 10 years, from 2002-2012. I’m very grateful for my new furniture and for my home. Thank you.”
Pauline’s beautiful new bedroom set is a testament to the power of collaboration and volunteerism! Thanks to New Life Furniture Bank of MA, Katie and Sultan, and Ethos’ Resident Services Coordination Program for making this project possible!
To learn more about Ethos’ Resident Services Coordination Program, please contact Valéria Souza at vsouza@ethocare.org or 508-208-4346. More information on the New Life Furniture Bank of MA can be found here: http://nlfurniture.org/
