UW dorm furniture repurposed to help those in need



KENT, Wash. -- Thanks to a local police officer with a good idea, ten charities received hundreds of furniture items for people in need.

Q13 Fox News tagged along as they were shipped off.

“Today we`ve got a handful of people showing up to distribute a bunch of furniture that was brought down from the University of Washington,” said Aaron Bauer, Faith Church Pastor.

Dozens of Seattle police officers, students and church volunteers, worked together to deliver beds and closets from the University of Washington to ten charities in need

“In the dorm rooms of McCarty Hall were all sorts of different types of furniture wardrobes beds bunk beds and they were about to be demolished,” added Bauer

The day of giving was the brainchild of Seattle Police detective John Lewitt. “Will anyone here volunteer to drive their car.”

University of Washington`s McCarty Hall was being demolished. Lewitt wanted to make sure all the furniture didn`t go down with it. By teaming up with UW, more than 200 bunk beds and 300 wardrobe closets will do more than just some good.

“In the homeless shelters people have their clothes and belongings in just cardboard boxes so to get a wardrobe like this it`s a treasure.” said volunteer Angela Karelina.

Some of the items will even make it as far as Ukraine.

“To the east Ukraine where the war is still going on people lost everything,” added Karelina.

Closer to home, Morgan Christianson gathers supplies for newly arrived refugees settling into life in the Pacific Northwest.

“A lot of families in order to avoid having to buy things they`ll just go without so they`ll go without a closet or a kitchen table,” said Christianson. “Seeing families’ reaction when we give items is really great.”

It’s amazing to see how one idea can inspire so many.

“When we send out six trucks out we`ll probably send two and then load two more,” said Detective Lewitt.

And give back in countless ways.

Christianson added that “together we can do good. Together we can do more.”

The Seattle Police Officers Guild also chipped in to cover some of the costs.