| Furniture Plus presents cheques totaling over $13,000 to children's charities |
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Furniture Plus presents cheques totaling over $13,000 to children's charities, matching customer donations  This check will be redeemed for 6,355 meals for children! Happy recipients are (left to right): Ms. Yolanda Darville, Hands For Hunger Executive Director; Ms. Courtney Hamm, Volunteer and Corporate Partnership Coordinator for Hands For Hunger; posing with Mrs. Krystynia Lee d'Arville, Vice President of Sales, Marketing & Organizational Development for Furniture Plus and founder of the Charity of Hope Foundation™; and Mrs. Dawn Forbes, Sales & Store Operations Manager for the Nassau Furniture Plus store. The Bahamas, January 24, 2012 -- Furniture Plus presented donation cheques to local children's charities in Nassau, Grand Bahama and Abaco as part of its Candles of Hope and Angels of Hope annual Christmas season of giving campaign. The beneficiaries for October through December were: Hands for Hunger in Nassau, Grand Bahama Children's Home in Grand Bahama, and Every Child Counts School in Abaco. These charities were selected by the employees of Furniture Plus by unanimous vote. "We are passionate about children's causes and wanted to focus on them at Christmas," said Mrs. Krystynia Lee d'Arville, Vice President of Sales, Marketing & Organizational Development for Furniture Plus and founder of the Charity of Hope Foundation™.  This "giant" cheque will go a long way toward helping children at the Grand Bahama Children's Home. Pictured are (left to right) Ms. Geneva Rutherford and Ms. Jean Hivert, Grand Bahama Children's Home Executive Committee; Mrs. Victoria Ferguson, Store and Merchandising Manager for Furniture Plus Grand Bahama; and Mr. Scott Ferguson, Managing Director, Furniture Plus Grand Bahama. Beginning in October and through December, Furniture Plus stores' Christmas trees quickly filled with Angels of Hope Christmas tree tags designating donations by the national furniture chain's friends and customers. "The visual impact was just tremendous," exclaimed Mr. Scott Ferguson, Managing Director of the Grand Bahama store. "We are so very proud of the generous spirit of our beloved Bahamians." In addition, customers purchased Candles of Hope, handmade locally, with all proceeds going directly to charity. At the conclusion of the campaign, Furniture Plus matched all monies collected for a grand total of $13,012 via the Charity of Hope Foundation™. As an added bonus, all three charities gained added exposure to the causes they champion throughout the year.
In Nassau, "The impact of your donation enables Hands For Hunger to provide 6,355 meals to children in need," said Ms. Courtney Hamm, Volunteer and Corporate Partnership Coordinator for Hands For Hunger. "The unwavering commitment and support from the Charity of Hope Foundation and Furniture Plus's customers, community and staff in the fight against hunger allows H4H to continue its critical work." Ms. Yolanda Darville, Hands For Hunger Executive Director, added: "Of Bahamians living in poverty, 50% are children under age 14. This donation will significantly impact the lives of children who receive food assistance at our 18 recipient agencies throughout New Providence."
 Ms. Lyn Major, Every Child Counts school administrator (left), Ms. Leanne Russell, Acting Sales & Store Operations Manager for the Abaco Furniture Plus store (center), and teacher Mrs. Teresa Sands (right) along with students of Every Child Counts are all smiles receiving their cheque to benefit this school for special-needs children. Customers and friends in Abaco helped another deserving children's cause. "Every Child Counts is honored to have been chosen as the designated charity of Furniture Plus in 2011," said Ms. Lyn Major, Administrator of Every Child Counts, a school for children with special needs. "All of us at ECC are extremely grateful for the support and generosity of the community towards us as exemplified by that of Furniture Plus." Customers and friends in Abaco helped another deserving children's cause. "Every Child Counts is honored to have been chosen as the designated charity of Furniture Plus in 2011," said Ms. Lyn Major, Administrator of Every Child Counts, a school for children with special needs. "All of us at ECC are extremely grateful for the support and generosity of the community towards us as exemplified by that of Furniture Plus." "The Bahamas community has once more come through, proving that even in uncertain economic times their arms and their hearts still reach out to others," said Mrs. Lee d'Arville. "They have touched so many of the children in our communities by showing them that they are not forgotten and that we still care." Furniture Plus began selling Candles of Hope and Angels of Hope in 2004 to nurture the spirit of giving during the company's annual Christmas campaigns. Then in 2011 the Charity of Hope Foundation TM was founded as a charity arm of Furniture Plus, expanding to embrace charitable causes throughout the year and benefiting over 15 Bahamian charities and counting. Last year Furniture Plus stores in Nassau, Grand Bahama and Abaco awarded over $40,000 in cash donations for charity while advocating for community involvement. This combined with the $13,000 donated at Christmas brings the total for 2011 to over $50,000. Mrs. Dawn Forbes, Sales & Store Operations Manager for the Nassau store, said, "To me, every Angel represents another child whose future is now just a little brighter thanks to the generosity of others. And isn't that what Christmas is all about?" For more information please visit the Furniture Plus website at www.furnitureplus.com, send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or call 242-397-PLUS (7587). To learn more about Hands for Hunger, Grand Bahama Children's Home, Every Child Counts, or other charities supported by Furniture Plus, please contact them or visit their respective websites. The Charity of Hope Foundation™ was founded in 2011 as a charity arm of Furniture Plus to nurture the spirit of giving during the company's annual Christmas campaigns, which were established in 2004. Since then the Foundation has expanded to embrace charitable causes throughout the year, benefiting over 15 Bahamian charities and counting. Although Furniture Plus continues to develop and promote the Foundation, the non-profit organization is not dependent on any one company and in fact welcomes participation from all who wish to create a better world by donating time, money, and talent to those in need. The Foundation strongly upholds the adage that "children are our future" and will continue to build bridges of hope both in The Bahamas and internationally to leave a better world and a brighter tomorrow for our youth. Furniture Plus was founded in December of 1988 by the late Paul Patrick Tyrone d'Arville and his son, Troy T. d'Arville. Over the past 20+ years Furniture Plus has grown into one of The Bahamas' leading furniture stores with a selection of furniture that includes bedroom, dining, living, entertainment, home office and accessories. They are also the exclusive factory distributor of both Kenmore Appliances — America's #1 Appliance Brand — and JVC Electronics, the leader in the electronics industry today. With locations in Nassau, Grand Bahama, and now Abaco, Furniture Plus is a nationally recognized brand. In 2009,The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce named Furniture Plus "Outstanding Business of the Year," a highlight of the company's year-long 20th Anniversary celebrations. Furniture Plus looks forward to many more decades of contributing to The Bahamas community through providing employment opportunities, helping to grow the retail economy, and assisting worthy charitable causes. For more information, please contact: |
