Appeal for Help Furnishing Home Found for Albany Bulb Residents

Editor's note: the message below is from Albany resident Francesco Papalia, describing items needed in an effort to furnish a new home that has been found for three residents of the Albany Bulb:

Dear Albany Friends and Neighbors,

The City of Albany has master leased a three-plus bedroom lower flat in a duplex in West Oakland with the help from the Berkeley Food and Housing Project.  This will be the new home for three single males without pets who were formerly living at the Albany Bulb. I am organizing an Albany Neighbors Helping Neighbors effort to fully furnish their new home.   Jo Ferlatte from the Berkeley Food and Housing Project is connecting me with these soon-to-be-newly-housed clients from the Albany Bulb.  I visited the property today Tuesday afternoon to make a site assessment for furniture sizing and general appropriate home furnishings.    

Like me, you may have extra clean, lightly used furniture and house wares that you would like to see utilized by those in need.  Perhaps you received some new household item this holiday season and will have something you would have gladly given to your friends or family members in need that you will be willing to donate.  I hope you will find this as satisfying, as I have, knowing that your donation will go to good use immediately. That someone who didn’t have a real home and bed and a warm place to sleep will have one now that you helped provide.

Many of you have already helped in the successful furnishing of a two-bedroom apartment in Richmond. Thanks to you all!

Current Needs Assessment: January 7, 2014:

There are washer/ dryer hookups: used washer and gas dryer.
We need someone with tools and knowledge to install them.

Bedrooms:Three  dressers and bed stands.  Clothes hangers.   No Beds Needed!
Queen sized bed linens, blanket and bed quilts.    One queen size bed frame.

Kitchen/dining table.  Round preferred to fit in eat-in kitchen and 4 dining chairs. I asked for specific requests and one was made for a mortar and pestle for grinding chili.
There is no dining room as it is will be used as a bedroom. The fourth bedroom is really too small to use as a bedroom.

Costco Members: full or partial toilet paper case. If you are purchasing one of those double packs of useful items like cleansers or anything else, please consider donating one for this house.    Ideas: aluminum foil, paper towels, plastic wrap, dish soap, sponges, cooking oil, rice, laundry soap, bar soap.

Projected moving days January 10, 11 and 12.   Movers and interior decorators needed   to help load and deliver and /or set up.
Moving trucks or cars like a Honda CRV capable of transporting small furniture.    The Albany Community Foundation will be providing $100 Target gift cards for each client to help them cover personal items.  Any cash donations to the Albany Community Foundation earmarked for Project Hope will help pay for those things that are not donated.

Kitchen: all sizes Pots and Pans. Large SOUP POT, mixing bowls, tea kettle, can opener. Soup Bowls. Can opener, garlic press, tupper ware. All size storage containers. Kitchen towels.
NO plates, cups, or flatware needed now.
Kitchen appliances: blender, toaster, toaster oven, microwave.
Shelving: Tall or low. Large plastic stacking storage boxes or shelving. Plastic stacking storage containers
All kinds of cleaning supplies including a broom and dust pan. VACCUUM!

Bathroom: all sizes of towels. Bath mats.  Wall and shower shelves.  

Small side tables for bedrooms and living room. Living room chairs. Please send picture of chairs. No Sofas needed now. Coffee table.

Area Rugs, small and large. New carpet remnants.

Lighting: floor and table lamps, extension cords. ALL SIZES.

TV, DVD player, clock radios. TV stand.

Small ladder or footstool.  Some basic hand tools: hammer, screwdrivers, small drill, saw.

Let’s make this a shining example of how we care, not just through our government and social agency efforts, but as neighbors helping neighbors.

Please let me know if you will have time next Friday, Saturday and Sunday to assist in the pickup and delivery of donations. If you reply to my email at francescop@aol.com, please include a telephone contact number.

Thanks

Francesco Papalia   home: 510-525-1165     809 Key Route Blvd., Albany

On a related front, last week I made a visit to Berkeley’s homeless multiservice center on Harrison Street next to the skate Park next to Codornices Creek at the Albany/Berkeley border.

Harrison House Emergency Shelter, Berkeley-Oakland Emergency Support Services (BOSS) 711 Harrison St. (at 4th.) in Berkeley.

Ursula Sherman Village (USV), Berkeley
Ursula Sherman Village is a service-rich residential ‘campus’ for homeless families and individuals—activities are designed to help homeless people live, work, learn, and heal so they can achieve health and self-sufficiency. The Village provides both short-term housing (Harrison House, 50 single adults, 9 families) and transitional housing (Sankofa House, 10 families). On-site services include a specialized after-school program for homeless children (Children’s Learning Center), adult literacy education and computer lab, access to health and mental health care, drug/alcohol recovery support, employment and job search assistance, peer support and mentoring, meals, laundry, showers, storage, and case management

They have a long standing need for bed linens, blankets and towels. They have a particular need for twin size bedding. After we furnish this Oakland home, I would like to facilitate our filling their needs.