Making lives brighter, one room at a time

Furnishing Hope of Orange County, a nonprofit organization that furnishes homes for families in stressful situations after housing providers like Habitat for Humanity have built them, will complete the interiors of four more homes in August.

Beth Phillips, founder and executive director of Furnishing Hope, said the organization has completed 27 homes since its establishment in 2003, and heavily relies on groups like the Sea Scouts to raise money for ongoing projects.

“A lot of these young people are required to do charity work in order to earn their Quartermaster award,” she said.

“These programs have been a great help to us.”

Volunteers work to solicit furniture donations and hold fundraisers to earn money for new pieces.

The organization then has a team of professional interior designers who pick from the available furniture, and design the new homes.

Phillips said she is especially thankful to one local scout, 16-year-old Laguna High School senior Breanna Hite, for her exceeded effort in a Fullerton project last December.

Hite was responsible for organizing a garage sale to raise money for beds for two new homes.

She was asked to recruit additional volunteers, move and price items, and advertise the sale.

“She didn’t stop there,” Phillips said. “She then helped install the furniture for both homes.

“Breanna is an amazing young lady.”

Hite, who has worked with orphanages in Mexico and donated her time to other community services in the past, said she has put in the most time with Furnishing Hope.

“It is such an unexplainable feeling to see how thankful the families are for all that has been done for them,” she said.

“There is no greater reward than to see a mother’s tears of joy, or a child playing with a toy, and the smile on a father’s face because he now has a beautiful home where his family will be safe.”

Hite also speaks highly of the organization.

“I couldn’t have picked a better group of people to work with,” she said.

Even though Hite has earned the prestigious Quartermaster award, she still plans to work on future projects, and will continue to get others involved.

Furnishing Hope also partners with partners with the American Red Cross, Orangewood Foundation’s Rising Tide Communities, Orange Coast Interfaith Shelter, Regional Center of Orange County, and other housing providers.

They will launch a new project for war veterans in 2009 called “Homes for Heroes.”

For more information about how you can get involved, visit www.furnishinghope.org.