Escare Furniture Program (2006)

This was a self-supporting program established in 1994, whereby people on low incomes could access some affordable secondhand furniture.

Over the 12 years the program ran it was very successful in providing families, with a genuine need, with furniture for their homes. These have included families that may have been new to town, families moving into unfurnished houses and individuals escaping domestic violence and so on.

Many people thoughtfully returned the furniture they received once they could afford to buy new furniture or if they had decided to leave town.

In 1998, Dennis Cahill, generously donated a vehicle to the program, to transport the donated items from our donators to the recipients.

How the furniture program worked

Nominal repayments were agreed upon between Escare staff and the client, usually at the Escare office. All monies received went back into the programme to fund the cost of transporting the furniture from our furniture donators to where the items are needed.

The program relied on generous furniture donations from members of the local community. Unwanted furniture, household items, beds, chairs and tables were constantly in demand, as were working fridges and washing machines.

Distiguished Community Volunteer

The success of the furniture program was largely due to the determination of one man Des Keitel who took it upon himself to be the main ‘Pick up and Delivery Man’.