The Furniture Co-operative of Greater Lafayette responds to the need for furniture

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Truck after truck unloaded couch after chair Saturday at the Furniture Co-operative of Greater Lafayette's first furniture drive.

"We had more than 24 locations we went for pickups," Jeanne Norberg with the First United Methodist Furniture Bank said. "People have been dropping things off all morning long."

The co-operative combines the efforts of the furniture bank and the City of Lafayette's Weed and Seed program.

"We've actually been open since May," Norberg said. "We have our system down and ready, and that's why we had this."

All the furniture is put on an online data base. Then, case workers and their clients can search, and pick out their furniture.

Jennifer Faurote is a client at Lafayette Transitional Housing, one of the social service agencies involved with the furniture co-operative. Faurote was able to furnish her home thanks to the co-operative.

"We were in desperate need because without the couches we have now, we were sitting on the floor," Faurote said. "When we moved up here we didn't have anything. We didn't have our own apartment, or money to get our own apartment. Lafayette Transitional Housing helped with that. Then, we were in need of some furniture, and they helped with that through the furniture bank. We got two couches, a lamp, and a couple of dressers."

Faurote saw the need for furniture first hand. Norberg said it's people like Faurote who can bring light to this need.

"The co-operative came from a community-wide need," Norberg said. "We sat down and thought, 'How can we solve that?'"

"I met a lot of people at Lafayette Transitional Housing, and they were in need of couches, and dressers, and beds, and stuff too," Faurote said.

Norberg said the furniture drives will continue a couple times a month. If you want to donate furniture you can call (765) 426-1403 or (765)-807-1087.