Make It Home

The concept of furniture poverty may not sound like a critical problem, but Carolyn Rebuffel Flannery, founder of the nonprofit furniture bank Make It Home, knows better. “For those transitioning out of homelessness or aging out of the foster care system, even basic household goods are unaffordable,” says Flannery, whose donation-based organization curates gently used furnishings and redistributes them throughout the Bay Area. “Even when people gain access to subsidized housing, there’s typically zero furniture and no money to get any after groceries and bills,” the interior designer adds. “More than just a table to study at or a bed to sleep in, we offer people pride of place.”