“We’re really at the tip of the iceberg”
Angie and Greg run Renewed Hope Furnishings, a furniture ministry out of Grinnell, Iowa. Founded in 2021, Angie was a school counselor at Grinnell High School. When she heard that the mother of one of her students—who was moving out of a homeless shelter into a new home—didn’t have access to any furniture, Angie made a facebook post asking the community for donations. She received everything she asked for in only 2 hours.
As the organization has evolved into what it is today, Angie and Greg remarked on how the ministry is bigger than they ever anticipated. In 2024 alone over 275 families donated furniture and over 403 families received furniture.
Angie and Greg credit this amazing success to their compassionate and committed volunteers. They noted that while the work can be daunting at first, once you help your first family furnish their new home, you tend to stick around.
Reflecting on our current point in time, Angie and Greg expressed worry that the lack of jobs and the barriers to employment make it difficult for people to leave the cycle of poverty. They often see the same people having to use their services again and again because of how hard it is these days to reach a point of stable employment and housing. They expect an increase in the usage of their ministry over the coming years, putting a lot of strain on existing resources. As Greg put it “we’re really at the tip of the iceberg”.