By Carol McGowan
Home2Home has new warehouse as well as a new retail outlet in Hodgkins.
The grand opening and ribbon cutting took place last month at 6119 East Avenue in Hodgkins. That’s the site of the Home2Home warehouse and the East Vintage Market.
Home2Home began in 2016 as a service project for the Towne family to help the homeless when Janelle Towne’s seventh-grade daughter told her she needed some community service hours for school.
Impacted by their experience volunteering with a local shelter program, Towne recognized a gap in services for clients transitioning into sustainable housing.
Towne learned that when homeless people leave shelters to get back on their feet, they usually move into an empty apartment with nothing more than an air mattress.
It was then that she started a Facebook group to gather gently used furniture and household items that people in her near west suburban area didn’t need or want any longer.
Her garage was soon filled and the donations just kept coming in.
In 2017, through the power of social media, Janelle created the first move-in, and the rest is history.
East Vintage Market came about as a pop-up store in front of the warehouse, to sell re-furnished furniture and furnishings, and all proceeds go back to Home2Home.
East Vintage Market is not open every day. For hours, more information, and how to volunteer or donate, visit www.h2hproject.org, or email info@h2hproject.org. You can also follow them on Facebook.
This sounds like a good project for the homeless. You can help by donating items to the organization.