Home is where the heART is – Art Sale Fundraiser benefitting Furniture Sharehouse

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - Oct. 23, 2017 - PRLog -- Furniture Sharehouse is holding its second biannual art sale on Thursday, October 26^th, 2017 from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm at Serendipity Labs in Rye, New York. The evening is entitled "Home is where the heART is". Tickets are $40 in advance and can be purchased on the Furniture Sharehouse website at www.furnituresharehouse.org or by calling 914-834-1294.

In the Spring of 2016, Furniture Sharehouse held their first art sale fundraiser and raised enough funds to furnish over 25 families with the sale of donated art work from the public, local artists and designers. The event was attended by 200 art enthusiasts and supporters. Based on that success, Furniture Sharehouse is considering making the art sale fundraiser a biannual event each Fall to raise funds and awareness of the need in Westchester County.

The goal of this year's art sale is to raise funds to furnish 30 families, providing them with gently used beds, dressers, a kitchen table and chairs, a living room sofa, an arm chair, and other basic pieces. Each family receives about 20 items after a visit to the Furniture Sharehouse warehouse located at the Westchester County Airport. Furnishings are the foundations of a home, helping people regain self-respect and a sense of normalcy so they can advance from adversity.

Highlights of the art sale include Israeli art from the collection of Stanley Batkin plus paintings, prints, sketches, and lithographs by renowned artists such as Vern Broe, Catherine M. Elliott, H. Margret, Alfred (Freddy) Defossez, & Rachel Strosberg, and unique paper sculptures by Jack Eisner.

There will be a raffle for a motorized kid's ride-on car – a mustang custom painted in pinstripes and autographed by all of the 2017 NY Yankees. The car was created and donated by John Iodice of Riemann Autobody in White Plains. Only 100 tickets will be sold at $50 each and the drawing will be held at the art sale. Tickets can be purchased online at Furniture Sharehouse's website.

The event will also feature a pop-up boutique of ceramics, glassworks and new & vintage home décor items plus decorated hand-painted furniture by local artists and designers. Chris Blatt and Sarah Fedorchick are contributing pieces to the art sale.

These donated works of art will be sold to the public at the art sale, with all proceeds helping to furnish the homes of people who move into empty apartments after leaving homeless shelters, fleeing domestic violence, and other struggles. Clients include veterans, people with disabilities, victims of floods or fires, medical crises, or other traumatic situations.

The public is invited to come find the perfect painting, poster, or print at a great price. There will be something for everyone --- landscapes, botanicals, abstracts, art for children's rooms, sports memorabilia, unique & unusual finds, and fabulous frames. All sizes, all media, all priced to sell, starting at just $25. Attendees can start their holiday shopping early, or buy something special for themselves --- all while enjoying complimentary yummy bites, wine, and craft beer.

Over the last 10 years, Furniture Sharehouse has helped over 11,000 individuals -- half of whom are children. In the 10th wealthiest county of the United States¹, 10% of Westchester residents are living in poverty²; 1,797 are homeless on any given night³, and 2,678 school-aged children have experienced homelessness⁴. Lack of furniture is a hidden need in Westchester. Once a person gets housing, they move into an empty apartment. That's where Furniture Sharehouse comes in. Furniture Sharehouse is the only organization in Westchester that addresses the "hidden need" of people living in empty apartments because they cannot afford a bed to sleep in, a table to share a meal, or a dresser to store clothes.

"Ten years ago, we opened our doors just in time to help dozens of local families devastated by the 2007 spring floods," says Kate Bialo, Executive Director. "Since then, we have distributed over 61,000 items of furniture to more than 11,000 people in need, providing them with the basic furnishings they need to live in comfort and dignity. We thank the County of Westchester, our Member Agencies, our community partners and our major donors for making it possible for us to celebrate this milestone," added Bialo.

Furniture Sharehouse was founded in 2006 through the efforts of Kate Bialo and The Junior League of Westchester on the Sound which provided seed money. With a matching HUD grant from Westchester County, warehouse space was secured at the Westchester County Airport and operations commenced in April 2007. Ms. Bialo learned of the social service community's frustration at having furniture that their clients desperately needed slip through their fingers because no one had space to store it temporarily. This led to the idea of a "shared warehouse" where donations could be collected and redistributed to agency clients as needed.

Furniture Sharehouse helps over 450 Westchester families and individuals each year by collecting gently-used furniture from the community and redistributing it directly to help those in need fill their empty apartments and rebuild their lives. For information on their donation guidelines and pick-up/drop-off procedures, go to Furniture Sharehouse's website.

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About Furniture Sharehouse

Furniture Sharehouse, Westchester County's Furniture Bank, provides furniture free-of-charge to economically disadvantaged individuals and families living in New York's Westchester County, giving them the basic household furnishings that enable them to rebuild their lives with dignity. Furniture Sharehouse is a New York State Not-for-Profit corporation and is tax exempt under IRS Section 501(c)(3). Donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Sources

1. http://time.com/money/3014512/richest-wealthiest-highest-income-counties-america-united-states/

2. US Census Bureau

3. NYS SIRS Reporting Data 2014-2015

4. HUD 2015