ABOUT USOur Mission
Welcoming Home helps individuals and families who are transitioning out of homelessness and poverty by fully furnishing and equipping their new homes while engaging the local community in donating gently-used furniture and keeping good furniture out of landfills.
We engage the local communities in which these people live in donating funds and needed household goods to foster our mission of neighbors helping neighbors. We also believe strongly in re-using good furniture rather than having it go to landfill.
What happens when an individual or family who has been homeless is finally able to find an apartment to rent? Of course, they’re happy to finally have a roof over their head and a home all to themselves. But they don’t have a bed or a table or a shower curtain or towels; their place is virtually empty. Finding a place to live is only half the battle. Furnishing it so that it’s a real home is the other half.
That’s where Welcoming Home comes in.
We fully furnish and equip the homes of people who have just transitioned from homelessness to provide a comfortable place where they can sleep, share meals, do homework and just relax. An important part of the fresh start these people so desperately want is the feeling of well-being and confidence that comes with living in a welcoming, cozy home.
We do it all through donations of cash and gently used or new furnishings from neighbors in the community we share. By repurposing items from our donors, we reduce the volume of used furniture and household goods going to the landfill.
And we do it all in one day. Well, the furnishing part anyway.
ABOUT USWho We Help
Referrals are made to us by local social service agencies, such as North Marin Community Services, Gilead House, Homeward Bound, Marin Housing Authority, Catholic Charities Santa Rosa. and many others. The individuals and families we help have been through major hardships, often having escaped abusive relationships or dangerous, strife-ridden home countries. Before getting a place of their own, they’ve lived on the street, in a single room of an apartment, in a shelter and/or in their vehicle. Thanks to help from local social service agencies, they now have safe and relatively affordable housing with a lease in their name.
They’re not looking for a handout, but for a hand-up.
"Families describe their experience with Welcoming Home as a place that delivers warmth, charm and comfort to their new space. A home that rises up to greet you."
Who We HelpStories
Note: stories do not necessarily correspond with families pictured
Maria and her two teens, Natasha and Alex, lost everything in an apartment fire. They were devastated. Maria had worked so hard to create a home for her family and now all was lost.
Regina and her children fled an abusive situation in another state; they came to California with nothing but their clothes and a few well-worn household items. Regina commutes almost two hours daily for a part-time job and cleans houses in her spare time.
Elda and her family fled Guatemala because of gang violence and child molestation in their neighborhood. When Elda’s brother was killed, she knew she had to leave with her children to ensure their safety. They are awaiting asylum now; Elda and her husband work full time as cooks in local restaurants.
Claudio, his wife Maira, and their 2-year-old son, Martias, arrived in the US after fleeing from El Salvador because of the dangerous political situation. Even though they had good jobs there (Claudio managed a soccer league and a dance troupe), they feared for their lives. They were able to get visas for the US and have applied for political asylum here.
