Some of the furniture I've been painting this last few days belongs to my Aunt
who has just had to move into residential care, she had a lovely home but wasn't
able to take much of her furniture with her. One of her other relatives had
arranged for it to go to a charity, I don't know what happened but when I drove
past one evening that week all her furniture was out on the front lawn - in the
rain - I was choked to say the least and I'm so glad she wasn't around to see it.
We managed to retrieve some small pieces and as we were standing there her neighbours came out to ask what had happened, so one way or another we managed to distribute the furniture to people who wanted it in the surrounding houses, we put the word out that people were ok to take it if they could use it or knew someone who could, and by the following morning it was gone, other than that it would have been ruined in the rain.
I'm writing about this because for many years I worked with the homeless community, for a time in resettlement. Its
very difficult to get somewhere to live and also difficult to get furniture for them to use in their new homes, I've moved people in knowing that they would have to sleep on the floor for weeks before the funds were available to get any
furniture at all, so it grieves me to see things thrown out unless they're broken and beyond use. We really have turned into a throw away society, but it all goes into landfill and that in itself is a big problem, or will be for our children and their children if we don't do something about it now.
I'll get off my soap box now, well in a minute! But in a way this is the mission of Hope Cottage Vintage, not all the furniture is old or vintage, as you can see from the site some of it is up-cycled furniture and not too old at all. There are also furniture projects in most towns which will collect any unwanted furniture, they do have fire regulations which restrict some furniture like sofas and beds but other than that they can usually use it, or the local homeless centre can.
Well as I said I'll get off my soap box - for now! :)
The chair in the photo used to be one of two at my Aunts breakfast bar, when they were very small my children used to love sitting on them as the chairs seemed so high to them then, as you can see, Rosie is now trying it out for size.
Blessings,
Love Jacki x
who has just had to move into residential care, she had a lovely home but wasn't
able to take much of her furniture with her. One of her other relatives had
arranged for it to go to a charity, I don't know what happened but when I drove
past one evening that week all her furniture was out on the front lawn - in the
rain - I was choked to say the least and I'm so glad she wasn't around to see it.
We managed to retrieve some small pieces and as we were standing there her neighbours came out to ask what had happened, so one way or another we managed to distribute the furniture to people who wanted it in the surrounding houses, we put the word out that people were ok to take it if they could use it or knew someone who could, and by the following morning it was gone, other than that it would have been ruined in the rain.
I'm writing about this because for many years I worked with the homeless community, for a time in resettlement. Its
very difficult to get somewhere to live and also difficult to get furniture for them to use in their new homes, I've moved people in knowing that they would have to sleep on the floor for weeks before the funds were available to get any
furniture at all, so it grieves me to see things thrown out unless they're broken and beyond use. We really have turned into a throw away society, but it all goes into landfill and that in itself is a big problem, or will be for our children and their children if we don't do something about it now.
I'll get off my soap box now, well in a minute! But in a way this is the mission of Hope Cottage Vintage, not all the furniture is old or vintage, as you can see from the site some of it is up-cycled furniture and not too old at all. There are also furniture projects in most towns which will collect any unwanted furniture, they do have fire regulations which restrict some furniture like sofas and beds but other than that they can usually use it, or the local homeless centre can.
Well as I said I'll get off my soap box - for now! :)
The chair in the photo used to be one of two at my Aunts breakfast bar, when they were very small my children used to love sitting on them as the chairs seemed so high to them then, as you can see, Rosie is now trying it out for size.
Blessings,
Love Jacki x
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