Furniture Sharehouse would not exist without the hard work and dedication of our many volunteers who work at the warehouse helping clients, and behind-the-scenes answering voicemails, e-mails, agency requests and much more.

Our inaugural Spotlight shines on Marie Graham

White Plains’ Marie Graham is a one-woman public relations road show, cheerleader, volunteer recruiter and trainer for Furniture Sharehouse, and that only covers half of what she does.  Reading about Furniture Sharehouse shortly after it opened, Marie tucked the article away for the day when she "had more time to volunteer". That day came in June 2008, and she has been at the heart of what we do ever since.
 

Using her background in design and furniture sales, Marie started as a shopping assistant. Her warmth and empathy, combined with her expertise, made her an instant hit with clients, case managers and other volunteers.  But Marie’s involvement with Furniture Sharehouse quickly expanded, as she turned her energies to community outreach, volunteer development and more.  She has recruited many new volunteers to Furniture Sharehouse in 2009, organizing introductory tours and training to make sure they are comfortable and knowledgeable before “graduating” them to work directly with the clients.

But, most importantly, Marie never forgets that our clients come first.

In December, when our warehouse was closed for winter break, an emergency request came in from a member agency three days before Christmas -- five homeless veteran clients had just been placed in permanent housing and were sleeping on the floor -- could Furniture Sharehouse help?  Marie called the case manager back immediately and met him the next day right after an ice storm to help him select and load enough beds for his clients.

Marie understands as well as anyone what a difference furniture makes in a family’s life. What can contribute more to a person’s “quality of life” than having a bed to sleep on, a table and chairs to share a meal with family, an armchair to rest in at the end of the day, a dresser for belongings?

We are thankful that Marie Graham kept that newspaper clipping on her desk and chose Furniture Sharehouse as the beneficiary of her boundless energy and generous spirit.