A Sydney charity that provides everything those in crisis need to make their houses a home is calling for support.
The simple act of coming home is a “blessing” for grandmother Shirley Backer after experiencing homelessness several times.
“I have been homeless about three times in the past five years,” she told 9News.
Backer was couch surfing and had to sleep in her car several times, then went to a women’s shelter when it got really tough.
It was a dream come true when she secured community housing in Kirribilli this year.
“I feel very very blessed, very blessed,” she said.
The only problem was she had no furniture.
“I had an empty shell of a home,” she said.
“I had no bed, I had nowhere to sit and I certainly had nowhere for someone to come over to stay like my grandchildren, nowhere to sit and eat, no kitchen cupboards.”
Luckily, charity Relove stepped in and let Backer shop for free at their Botany warehouse.
“I got to choose exactly what I wanted to. Oh, it was wonderful,” Backer said.
“I was just in awe of the quality of the items and I couldn’t wait to move in then.”
Backer feels comfortable and settled into her home thanks to Relove.
“I feel like it’s my pad,” she said.
Relove opens its doors to people in crisis, inlcluding women and children fleeing family violence and at-risk youths, who are often moving into social housing.
“We’re providing $10,000 to $15,000 in material aid every time we move a person,” Relove founder Ren Fernando said.
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“It’s an immeasurable impact for people to be able to choose how they want to live.”
Relove doesn’t just supply furniture, but also white goods like fridges, homewares and even art to provide the small touches that turn a house into a home.
The goods are even delivered to the person’s door.
“We’re really proud of the quality of stuff we’re getting here because it really makes people feel like they’re worthwhile, and that’s really important,” Fernando said.
The thousands of items are saved from commercial redevelopments of hotels and offices, surplus retail stock and old film sets – all of it would otherwise be headed for the landfill.
“We’ve got an environmental solution to a social problem. It’s a pretty simple thing,” Fernando said.
Relove’s corporate partner Built donates furniture from its developments around Sydney so the charity can continue to support those in need.
“An example is the intercontinental refurbishment – we took beds, we took couches, we took tables and chairs,” Kaitlyn Davidson, from Built, said.
Relove started in 2020 with the goal of helping five women, but now three years later the organisation has helped more than 1500.
The group provides furniture to 10 to 15 families per week.
Relove is now the one asking for support, with the charity facing a rental increase on their warehouse space.
“It will be around $1 million a year for rent in this location. We simply can’t afford it, we have no government funding,” Fernando said.
“We need some support here.”
After everything Relove gave to Backer, she wants to give back so is now training to get her forklift licence to help at the warehouse.
“I’ve been resilient because of other people’s kindness, love and respect, which I would like to give back,” she said.
To find out more about Relove, visit their website here.
