About
The Furniture Ministry is a recognized mission ministry of the Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines (although it receives no funding). As such, all donations are tax-deductible.
90% of the donations come from the Hope family which helps assure that the quality of donated items is “gently used”, and the other 10% comes from Hope or mission partner referrals.
History
2005
SEEING A NEED
The furniture ministry started in 2005 when Dave Jensen, a member of Hope, was volunteering at Central Iowa Shelter. During his time there, he met a client who had an apartment but lacked the means to furnish it. Dave and his wife Carol realized they had spare furniture at home that they weren't using. Through 2008, they helped approximately 50 households by providing donations gathered from members of Hope and friends.
2008
LEAP OF FAITH
In 2008, Dave and Carol decided to take a leap of faith & go church-wide by announcing the ministry in the church bulletin & announcement slides asking for donations. At that time, they also forged partnerships with local organizations that serve those coming out of homeless situations. From 2009-2022, the Jensens were blessed to “do furniture” each Saturday – pick ups in the morning, drop offs in the afternoon.
2023
A REVIVAL
After a year-long break and many prayers over what the future of this ministry should be, the ministry was revived with a digital presence and a permanent storage facility to house donations. The ministry now continues with a core of 2 regular volunteers & a handful of occasional volunteers to call on when needed. The ministry has touched over 1000 home donation units, who are thrilled to know that their items will find new life.
Case Managers
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Know of a furniture need?
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When God Decorates
The ministry is truly blessed to be witness to God’s hand in all it does – from holding the weather at bay as it travels in pick ups, to amazing connections with the folks who donate, to “just in time” inventory, to how God’s decorating brings tears of joy. The team “prays in” with volunteers at the start of each day & “prays out” with those served. The sole purpose of this ministry is to glorify God & what He does in our lives.