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NWFB IN THE NEWS

Northwest Furniture Bank lends a hand

By Shawn Skager, Sumner Reporter

Bernardo and Maria Castilla aren't sure if they want the plastic plant.

They confer together, speaking in Spanish. Maria, visibly pregnant, shrugs and soon the plant - along with a picture for their wall - finds its way into the back of their rented U-Haul truck.

Bernardo reaches to close the rear door of the truck, but before he can pull it shut Bill Lemke, founder of the Northwest Furniture Bank stops him.

"Do you need a bed?" he asks. "Do you need a mattress?"

Bernardo looks at Maria. More Spanish, another shrug, and soon the Castillas - along with Bill and his wife, Jolene Lemke and Terry Freed, the Castillas' maternity support counselor from the Pierce County based Community Health service - find themselves on the way back to the mattresses.

With a king-sized bed securely nestled in the back of the truck, the Castillas thank the Lemkes and drive off.

"They just requested a sofa and a crib," Bill explains as he closes the loading dock door. "We didn't have a crib, but we let them pick out some extra things."

"The funnest thing is to watch them and let them choose their furniture," Jolene adds.

Normally, clients of the furniture bank are referred by local aid agencies such as the Tacoma Housing Authority, and request items that they need - such as a crib or sofa - Jolene explains.

"But once they are here they can have whatever they want," she says. "A plant, pictures, whatever. That and the hugs are the best part."

Since September of 2006 the Lemkes have operated the Northwest Furniture Bank out of The Old Cannery Furniture Warehouse.

It's a labor of love for Bill, who first stumbled onto the idea of a furniture bank about three years ago.

"I was in San Francisco with a youth group," Bill says. "And we were in this Costco-sized food bank. I looked around and thought to myself, 'why can't this be done with furniture?'"

According to Bill, the idea simmered in his mind for about a year.

However more pressing concerns took the forefront, when his son Brian was diagnosed with lymphoma.

For the past 30 years Bill has sold furniture wholesale to Northwest businesses, including the Old Cannery.

When the Sumner-based business found out about Brian's fight, they started a fund to help out with medical bills.

The money wasn't needed, however.

Brian contracted a lung infection and died on Thanksgiving Day, 2005.

Soon after, Bill tried to return the money raised by the Old Cannery.

Instead, they suggested he start his dream of a furniture bank and use medical fund as seed money. They also donated nicked and slightly damaged furniture as well as 1,500 square feet of warehouse space.

Soon the Northwest Furniture Bank was up and running.

For the Lemkes, it's not about giving a hand out, however; it's about giving a hand up.

Clients for the bank are referred through local agencies.

"We work only with agencies, so they do the screening," Bill explains. "We focus on people that are helping themselves."

"A lot of these people work hard to get through rehab and when they're done they have nothing," he adds. "They move into a house and they have a blanket. We try to help with that."

Clients are allowed to use the bank only once, and are required to pay a processing fee.

"We charge a $50 processing fee," Bill says. "The real reason for that, is that it gives them a sense of ownership."

The furniture comes from various sources - The Old Cannery, Sleep Country and Emerald Home Furniture are all big donors, Bill said.

Donations also come from the public.

"We require the furniture be gently used," Bill says. "Basically, if you would let your mom or your children sleep on it or use it, we want it."

Currently Bill says he and Jolene spend more than 25 hours a week on the furniture bank.

"It's becoming a full-time job," Jolene says.

"The need is just so great," Bill says.

In addition to the gratification from helping people in need, Bill and Jolene say that the response from donors is also a big part of why they do this.

"Giving is contagious," Bill says. "People just want to help. It's rewarding."

Jolene says that after an article on the bank ran in the Tacoma News Tribune, they received a call from an anonymous donor.

"He called up and said, 'Go down to Hiatt Pontiac and pick out a delivery truck.'"

Now the bank has their own truck to haul furniture.

Before that they had to make due with borrowing a truck from Dave Long of Dave's Custom Woodworking in Tacoma.

"He called up and offered us his delivery truck to use," Jolene said. "Dave got us through November and December."

Right now the bank averages about three clients a week, but Bill and Jolene said they'd like to do more. First they need more space, as they are rapidly running out space at The Old Cannery.

For now though, the Lemkes will keep plugging away, doing what they can to help out.

And for many of the clients and the caseworkers that help them, that is just fine with them.

"We're in the field and we see the need," Freed said. "It's a great help and great thing they do."

More information on the Northwest Furniture Bank can be found at their Web site at www.nwfurniturebank.org.

Shawn Skager can be reached at 253-826-3260 ext. 5050 or by e-mail at sskager@sumnerreporter.com