Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
- North Star Recovery and Wellness and the Other Side Academy aim to furnish homes of people in need.
- Nominees must reside in Davis, Salt Lake, Utah, or Weber counties.
SALT LAKE CITY — Living in a home with faulty or non-existent furniture can make it feel uninviting or unfulfilling and living with mental illness or substance abuse disorders only complicates that. A local partnership between charitable organizations aims to help furnish the homes of some people in need with gently-used, donated furniture.
North Star Recovery and Wellness is partnering with the Other Side Academy to implement "Furnishing Futures," to furnish the homes of individuals in need with gently-used furniture.
Leaders from behavioral health treatment center North Star Recovery and Wellness and the Other Side Academy will select at least five homes nominated by loved ones to receive essential furniture, including tables, couches and beds. The Other Side Movers, a training school from the Other Side Academy that helps teach those struggling with substance abuse and criminality to live more productive lives, will help move the furnishings into the home and move any donated items as needed.
Madison Ditton Interiors is also partnering with the initiative to provide interior design support, ensuring each home is thoughtfully furnished.
Furnishing Futures comes as part of North Star's "public good" initiative to help members of the community who may struggle with mental health and addiction.
"We've noticed that some people have lost almost everything to their addictions or what's going on with their (mental health), leaving them kind of stuck or not having as good of an environment as one would hope. So what we're trying to do is come in and say, 'Hey, can we improve your living environment, which hopefully will improve your moods and will improve your life,'" said Jay Tobey, founder of North Star Recovery and Wellness.
While it is not required that nominees have any specific challenges other than lacking necessary furniture, Tobey says those struggling with homelessness, substance abuse and mental health may stand the most to benefit from the initiative.
According to the National Nurse-Led Care Consortium, a lack of stable housing can lead to poor health outcomes for all, but especially for those who suffer from a substance use disorder. It can be more difficult for those with substance use disorders to find and keep reliable housing, which typically results in them experiencing periods of homelessness. Several studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association have shown a positive correlation between homelessness and drug overdose mortality rates, which some researchers say may be the result of using drugs as a mechanism to cope with the trauma of being unhoused.
Tobey explained that those transitioning from homelessness or struggling with substance abuse may have to worry about meeting their basic needs so often it becomes difficult to focus on improving other aspects of life.
"If you're thinking every day about where your basic necessities are coming from, where you're going to lay your head, how can you focus on improving your life as far as, could you get a better job, could you improve your internal relationships with your friends and loved ones and family?" Tobey said. "I would say it's one of the hardest struggles that people go through. ... As someone's trying to wheel off these huge, life-changing events that they're struggling with mental health if they're also having to add basic housing and living environment issues, sometimes, I would say, it could go towards feeling depressed and sad. Where do they find comfort?"
A Michigan-based study examined the impact of living in an under-furnished house for 20 participants transitioning from being unhoused. One participant explained that even when he was homeless and living in a shelter, he was provided a bed, but when he was able to secure his own housing, it was almost like downgrading because he couldn't afford a bed or any other furniture. Researchers found that adding furniture to participants' homes increased time spent together as families, improved mental, physical and social health, and improved the ability to set and achieve goals. The study concluded that community-based programs to provide furniture to those in need would improve both individual well-being and community health.
Furnishing Futures aims to make similar improvements in the lives of those who are nominated for the initiative. Nominations can be made online and will be accepted on Friday, March 21, until midnight. The nominee's home must be located in Davis County, Salt Lake County, Utah County or Weber County to be eligible for nomination. Leaders of the initiative will select and announce the winners by March 28.
Once the winners are selected and their furniture needs are assessed, North Star will work with community partners to gather donations. Those interested in helping can donate their gently used furniture, funds or time as a volunteer. Furniture donations can be dropped off at the Other Side Academy at 667 E. 100 South in Salt Lake City or the Weber Recovery Center at 2740 Pennsylvania Avenue in Ogden. For more information, visit the North Star website.
