The Barnabas Network

The Barnabas Network is the Triad's only nonprofit furniture bank. Since 2005, we've been meeting people halfway on their journeys to self-sufficiency by providing essential home furnishings, free of charge, at a moment when it makes all the difference. 

Hey, what is a nonprofit furniture bank, anyway? Here in the Triad, it all began with a storm. 

When Greensboro welcomed Hurricane Katrina survivors, local community groups noted a gap in services. Food, clothes, temporary housing, and other community resources were extended . . . but what about furniture? So, a grassroots team of volunteers began collecting gently-used furnishings, stashing it in garages, and delivering it with pick-up trucks to the Katrina families. The demand grew, and a stunning realization set in: not only did storm survivors have a desperate need for home furnishings, but residents right here in the Triad did as well. The scrappy community movement born out of a need to help soon became a permanent, standalone nonprofit organization known as The Barnabas Network. The rest is history, but it's also present and future. 

Last year threw us for a loop, but we pivoted, pirouetted, and adapted. Facing a greater need than ever before (and during a global pandemic), we rolled out virtual shopping appointments and simplified our referral process to be sure that nobody slipped through the cracks. We're still here and we're going ahead full steam. 

Today, Barnabas collects more than 8,000 pieces of furniture and housewares each year, and we distribute it to approximately 2,700 individuals who are transitioning out of homelessness, fleeing abuse, overcoming major obstacles, and living on incomes that do not meet basic needs. 

It's simple. We recycle furniture and restore lives.