In August of 2004, a Pittsburgh resident felt called to stop her car and offer help to a woman with two young daughters who were living in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Pittsburgh. Working with volunteers from her local church, they were able to locate and deliver the furniture needed by the family. Soon they discovered that nearly every family on that street was in the same dire straits; th
ey realized that they had been called to an ongoing effort. Volunteers from that church were able to provide for the needs of those additional families over a period of months. Off the Floor Pittsburgh had been born. Over three years, the ministry grew, as did the number of families helped. A Board of Directors was established. Ad hoc volunteer groups were replaced by volunteer teams based in eight local churches to pick up and deliver donated furniture on a rotating schedule. Rented trucks, and eventually a purchased used truck, replaced caravans of pick ups, minivans and station wagons. Used furniture was stored in rental storage units and later a large warehouse facility until a delivery could be completed. Part-time employees replaced volunteers to plan and manage weekly pick up and delivery trips. Health and social service agencies discovered Off the Floor Pittsburgh and began to refer clients who were living without furniture. Typically the families helped by Off the Floor Pittsburgh are headed by women with 2-3 children. Their circumstances vary. Sometimes the furniture they receive allows mothers and children to be reunited (or prevents them from being separated). Some families had come out of dependency programs or shelters, been illegally evicted or had suffered a disastrous fire, causing them to lose all of their belongings. Two young families had recently come to Pittsburgh from Somalia. Families in 56 zip codes in the greater Pittsburgh area have been helped so far. In 2007-2009, 115 families were helped per year on average. The referral agencies that partner with Off the Floor Pittsburgh can readily refer clients in need of basic beds, tables and chairs. They reinforce our experience that there are countless poor families and individuals in the region who desperately need the services of Off the Floor Pittsburgh in order to live with dignity. At any given time, there is usually a backlog of more than twenty potential recipients.
