As students continue to get situated in their new living areas, they still may be looking for furniture for their new place. That perfect lounge chair for the big bedroom on the top floor or that comfortable couch for the living room may take a long time to obtain, but imagine not having the means to purchase these things.
To help families in Charlottesville living without furniture, students and other Charlottesville residents are taking action to alleviate this problem.
These families "don't have beds -- they're sleeping on the floor, they don't have anything," third-year College student Eric Rosenthal said. "Imagine living in an apartment with no furniture."
Last year, Rosenthal, who worked closely with refugees from Africa while in high school, decided to do some research to find out how he could help people in need in the Charlottesville area. In particular, Rosenthal contacted the International Refugee Council and spoke with ministers from Christ Episcopal Church, who told him there are a large number of displaced families in Charlottesville and the Piedmont region due to the low unemployment rate of the area and the availability of inexpensive housing.
Rosenthal and the others also discovered the most important way they could serve was to help get furniture for needy families in Albemarle and Nelson Counties and the city of Charlottesville. Rosenthal works to advertise and get donations of furniture and helps pick it up and distribute it.
"We pick up and deliver the furniture and coordinate," he said. "This is important because companies would charge $75 an hour to pick up the furniture, and the volunteers and I assume that cost."
Rosenthal worked closely with fraternities and sororities picking up their old furniture. In addition, many donations came from fourth years moving out last year.
Lately, the need has become even greater than anticipated. Although many financially-secure families have moved to Charlottesville after Hurricane Katrina, eight families moved here after having nowhere else to go. Furniture is being distributed to these families, and the group is working to collect more donations.
"We're trying to get the word out so people help us get even more donations," Rosenthal said. "There's such a huge need for furniture."
What started out as research by a University student has become a tri-county furniture distribution project with volunteers traveling as far out as Wintergreen to help those in need.
"What we really wanted was to form relationships with needy families around Charlottesville, not through a 'community service project', but by getting involved in their lives," Christ Episcopal urban minister Ross Byrd said.
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