A Seat at the Table: A Partnership with Bob's Discount Furniture

Every year, Be An Angel Day gives Covenant House a chance to shine a light on the volunteers and partners who show up, again and again, for young people experiencing homelessness. This year, that spotlight is on the partners we have at Bob's Discount Furniture. Lindsay Ruszczyk from Bob’s spoke about how the partnership with Covenant House builds a real relationship between their team, their customers, and the youth they’re supporting.

A Partnership Built on More Than Furniture

Bob's and Covenant House are now three years into Cafe Collections for A Cause, a program built around the complimentary in-store cafes Bob's operates in its furniture showrooms. Each quarter, Bob's spotlights a different charity partner there, inviting customers to make a donation, which the Bob's Discount Furniture Foundation then matches, dollar-for-dollar up to $75,000.

As Lindsay explains, "When Bob's seeks out partner organizations for any of our charitable causes, we are looking for organizations that are an extension of who we are as a company. So, when we looked at Covenant House's mission, we saw a lot of alignment with our belief that everyone deserves a home, a home where they feel like they belong."

Bob’s national footprint and passionate employees have made a point to help as many communities as they can. Bob's has gone beyond fundraising, donating furniture, including couches and mattresses, and sending store teams to volunteer directly with young people. Early in the partnership, a Bob's team spent a day at Covenant House New York helping serve meals. More recently, Bob's donated furniture for the opening of a new Rights of Passage transitional living space at Covenant House Illinois, and members of the Bob’s team attended the opening in person.

Bringing the Café to the Cov

A memorable day with Covenant House came when Lindsay and members of Bob’s in Manhattan traveled to our Covenant House New York site to close out the very first Cafe Collections for a Cause. She presented a check representing the funds raised and matched that quarter, then rolled up her sleeves to help serve lunch alongside CHNY's kitchen staff. As she was there, Lindsay saw many of the holistic services Covenant House provides at our sites, as well as a music room and the quiet spaces where young people go to do schoolwork or apply for jobs.

"That was extremely impactful for me, just to see the breadth of the services that Covenant House provides," she said. "It's great to promote a program where you could see how the funds get used, and how it benefits the youth."

That visit also produced an idea that has since become a Bob's signature event: The team brought a piece of their in-store cafe with them, setting up a spread of the same candy and treats customers find in Bob's showrooms. Lindsay remembered, "It was very joyous the way that the space was set up. At the end of the day, teens are teens, and they acted so excited for the candy bar, just like any kid would. I have two teenagers, so I think about them. I think about what life would be like if they had gone through situations like this," she said.

"When I got to meet the teenagers and the young adults, I was just thinking how similar they were to my own children. Life can change in an instant, and it was very impactful for me personally just to see how similar they were to my own kids, to be honest."

Part of a larger cause: Be An Angel Day

Looking back on three years of partnership between Bob’s and Covenant House this Be an Angel Day, Lindsay reflected, "Any time Bob's can partner with an organization like Covenant House, it really helps our employees connect to our mission and feel like we're part of a bigger cause. I think this has been something that we've really appreciated, and will continue to appreciate in the years to come."

On Be An Angel Day, Aug. 22, Covenant House celebrates partners like Bob's Discount Furniture and the people behind them, who bring their time, their teams, and, sometimes, a little candy, to help young people know they belong somewhere.

Interested in bringing your company's support to young people overcoming homelessness? Get in touch with our corporate partnerships team.