Houses into Homes is getting ready for the year’s largest fundraising event

Coralville, Iowa – Everything from chairs to cupboards to home décor is available at the Houses into Homes warehouse in Coralville.

According to Lucy Barker, director of development, all of those donated goods assist people in transforming their homes into cozy, welcoming spaces.

“Everything we need to establish a home is here,” Barker remarked.

According to Barker, when they first started in 2018, their main goal was to guarantee that children in the Iowa City School District had a bed to sleep on. However, they were unaware of the numerous problems these kids and their faces faced.

Barker stated, “We spoke with someone at the school district who told us there were 500 kids in our district who experience homelessness every year.”

According to Barker, the charity has grown over the previous six years to assist in furnishing more than simply beds for children. These days, they assist adults in getting new furniture for their houses, and everything in the warehouse helps people leave abusive relationships, the streets, or prison. They gave 325 households 450 beds last year.

Director of Operations Ian Cawley remarked, “When I first walk in here, I think, man, this is a lot of beds; this is going to be here; we’re never going to get rid of all this.” We have probably turned things around two or three times in the four months that I have been here.

From a little garage to 12,000 square feet of warehouse space, they’ve required to increase their storage capacity, but it goes beyond that. Although the demand for furniture and household goods is being met by these volunteers, more donations are still required. On October 6, The Houses into Homes will hold its third annual “Comfort Food Cook-Off.”

“This fundraiser accounts for a good portion of our operations,” Barker added.

According to Barker, a lot of the services they provide are taken for granted by many, but they are all necessary for those who are having difficulty turning their house into a home.

“Adults frequently sleep on the floor when a child is sleeping,” the speaker stated. “When there isn’t a couch or table and chairs, the kids often do their homework on the floor.”