Local Congregation Creates New Way to Turn a House Into a Home

For the past several months, a local church has taken a very creative approach to collecting furniture and household items for the CARITAS Furniture Bank.

Cool Spring Baptist Church has long hosted shelter for CARITAS and participated in furniture builds. In fact, the group recently hosted a table build. CARITAS serves nearly 30 families a week at the Furniture Bank and dining room tables are an essential component of helping families build a new home.

“I like the idea of helping people be able to get back on their feet,” said Cool Springs Baptist Church member Lindsey Siegfreid. “This allows people the ability to build and grow on their own and become self sufficient.”

CARITAS needs to collect many more items to turn houses into homes for families experiencing homelessness, fleeing domestic violence, or find safety as a refugee.

The congregation has taken the word “build” to a new level. Each month, the congregation comes together to pick one “room” for which to collect items. For example: a bathroom needs toilet paper, shower curtains, soap, bath mats, and more. For an entire month, the community focuses on collecting items related to the bathroom.

To track their progress, Lindsey and other volunteers are building a small house inside of the church. Each month, they add new pieces to the house. It’s still a work in progress as they continue to “build” the house. We have enjoyed watching the progress and putting all of the items to good use in homes right in here in the Richmond area!

Thank you for your creativity and dedication, Cool Spring!

Want to host your own furniture or household drive?
Learn more here.
Have your own creative volunteer project? Let us know! Email Marketing and Communications Manager Megan Wilson at mwilson@caritasva.org.