Giving Back for Over 28 Years

Sometimes it’s the small moments in time that have the biggest impact.

In August, I partnered up with the New England Patriots again for the Second Annual Bed-Zone Bash and gave 200 beds to 200 local children in need. After the kids came rushing onto the field and sprinted towards their beds, I started hearing stories of how this was the first new bed that they’ve ever had. 

You can’t put a value on the sight of seeing 200 smiling faces climbing into their new beds.

It’s these moments in time that just warms my heart, knowing that I’m helping to brighten someone’s day. 

The Bed-Zone Bash is just one example of the many amazing events and programs that my Outreach team and I work on every year. 

Giving back to the community is very important to me and my employees. Each year, the company donates more than $100,000 to schools and close to $3 million dollars to charities. 

Take a look at the different types of Outreach programs: 

Café Collections for a Cause

Each quarter, I collect all of your generous donations from every Café, provide a 100% dollar-for-dollar match and present a check to hand-selected nonprofit. I cannot thank you enough for your consistent support of my Café Collections for a Cause! On average, customer contributions are close to $40,000 per quarter. That’s a lot of money! 

Here are my Café Collections for Cause recipients for this year. I’m proud to announce that this year I added Operation Homefront as my fourth quarter Café Collections for a Cause recipient.

1st Quarter – Special Olympics

Thanks to all of your donations, we were able to donate $72,000 to Special Olympics.

2nd Quarter – Autism Speaks

I was so excited to write a big check for $100,000 to Autism Speaks.

3rd Quarter – Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation

Wow! In just the second year of our partnership, we donated $85,000 to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.

 4th Quarter – Operation Homefront

I’m happy to welcome Operation Homefront to my Café Collections for a Cause program. I started the partnership off with an $18,000 donation.

There’s still time to donate to Operation Homefront. Stop by any of my 122 stores from now until the end of December to donate.

Random Acts of Kindness

Who doesn’t love a surprise every once in a while? I know I sure do and that’s why I love handing out Random Acts of Kindness checks throughout the year. It warms my heart to see the smile on someone’s face when I hand them a Random Acts of Kindness check.

At my grand opening events in May for my four Detroit-area stores, I donated $52,000 to area nonprofits including nine local schools and three community organizations.

One of the community organizations receiving a check was Coalition on Temporary Shelter (COTS), who brought two individuals to my Livonia Grand Opening to shop for furniture for their new homes. One of those individuals, Amber Miller, had her eye on some of my sparkly pieces.

Furniture Donations

If there’s one thing that I love more than talking about furniture, it’s giving away furniture to those who are in need. My Outreach team and I partner with a variety of nonprofits across the country to donate brand-new furniture. I also team up with various professional sports franchises to make dreams of owning a new bed or a new sofa, a reality! 

A few weeks ago, through my partnership with Operation Homefront and the Indianapolis Colts, we surprised an Army National Guard Veteran in Indiana with a houseful of new furniture.

Supporting Shelters & Transitional Housing

I strongly believe that everyone deserves a comfortable and safe place to call home. During the year, I donate brand-new furniture to a variety of shelters and transitional homes across the country.

In November, I teamed up with the New York Giants to support the opening of Rights of Passage II, a collaborative homeless prevention program between Interfaith Neighbors of Asbury Park and Covenant House New Jersey. 

“We are so grateful for the partnership with Bob’s and that they believe in our vision for helping our young people achieve their dreams and goals,” says Covenant House NJ’s Executive Director, Jim White. “Today, all of our young people are working or going to school; some are doing both. We know that if young people who experience homelessness are given a safe and supportive environment, they can move beyond homelessness and to a life of fulfilling their dreams and everything they deserve.”

Food Pantry Donations

I’m excited to support food pantries in my local communities during this season of giving. This year I’m donating $264,000 to hunger-relief organizations. An organization near each of my 122 Bob’s Discount Furniture stores across the country, 5 distribution centers and 5 future store locations will each receive a $2,000 donation. 

“On behalf of Forgotten Harvest, I thank you for your generous donation this Holiday season. This $2000 donation will help us feed the people that are suffering from hunger and food insecurity in Metro Detroit,” said Kirk Mayes, CEO Forgotten Harvest. “We will be able to provide enough food for $14,000 worth of groceries or about 8000 meals, going directly to those in need to put food on their table this holiday season.”

Employee Engagement

All these amazing community projects are not possible without a stellar group of employees! I’m so happy to work with a team of employees that love to get involved with events across the country. Their dedication and passion for giving back to the community make this all possible!