HIGH POINT, NC and DECATUR, GA March 1, 2007 (DECATUR, GA and HIGH POINT, NC) – The American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA), the world’s largest and most influential trade organization serving the home furnishings industry, has endorsed Help1Up, the home furnishings industry’s free used furniture removal service.

Help1Up is administered by the non-profit National Furniture Bank Association (NFBA). This service is made possible through a network of dozens of furniture banks across the country. Furniture banks collect used home furnishings from the general public, give the donor a tax-deductible receipt, then provide the furnishings directly to families in need. Typical furniture bank clients are women and children escaping domestic violence, families living below the poverty line, and victims of natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina.

“The AHFA is proud to endorse Help1Up,” said Andy Counts, AHFA’s chief executive officer. “The industry has come together to support this socially responsible and environmentally friendly service.”
According to Don Lawrence, executive director of the NFBA, Help1Up also increases sales of new furniture. “Furniture banks annually collect 1,000,000 items of used home furnishings from the public that may otherwise be resold in consignment stores or in classified advertisements. We create a vacant spot ready for a new purchase.”

Increasingly “green thinking” American consumers also appreciate that Help1Up keeps thousands of tons of usable furniture out of landfills and incinerators every year.

Ray Allegrezza, editor in chief of Furniture/Today magazine and member of the NFBA Board of Directors, said that the AHFA’s endorsement is a landmark development. “This marks the first time that the entire industry has come together in support of a singular cause,” said Allegrezza. “Supporting Help1Up is a no-brainer. It’s free, facilitates new furniture purchases, provides a valuable service to our customers, protects the environment, and assists tens of thousands of families in need.”

Other endorsing industry associations include: BIFMA - Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer’s Association International; CFMA - California Furniture Manufacturers Association; FAI - Futon Association International; HFIA - Home Furnishings International Association; IDS - Interior Design Society; IHFRA - International Home Furnishings Representatives Association; NHFA - National Home Furnishings Association; NARDA - North American Retail Dealers Association; UFA - Unfinished Furniture Association; WHFA - Western Home Furnishings Association; and, WithIt - Women in the Home Industries Today.

About the NFBA

The NFBA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the mission to increase the service capacity of existing furniture banks, and to open new furniture banks in areas without one. No child in America should have to sleep on the floor.

About the American Home Furnishings Alliance

The AHFA is the world’s largest and most influential trade organization serving the home furnishings industry. AHFA is dedicated to fostering the growth and global well being of its member companies.


National Furniture Bank Association (NFBA)
Don Lawrence
Executive Director
dlawrence@help1up.org

American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA)
Patricia Bowling
Vice President of Communications