Our Mission
A Sense of Home strives to prevent homelessness by creating first-ever homes for youth aging out of foster care with donated furniture and home goods.
50% of those struggling with homelessness are former foster youth.
The homeless crisis can only end through prevention.
Our Vision
- We believe that a home full of hope, dignity, and love is the first step in homeless prevention.
- We envision a society where the excess of businesses and individuals are shared through a community experience with those in need of “home”.
- We envision a world where furniture and appliances are never sent to landfills, but always given a second life.
- We believe that homelessness can only be eradicated through the active participation by all community stakeholders when focusing on prevention.
Youth aging out of foster care face acute inequality
Greatly impedes an individual or a family’s ability to properly inhabit and function in their shelter, undermining their health and productivity in work and school.
The average young adult lives in their parents’ home
- 58% of youth live with their parents
- 59% of parents financially support their children until age 29
- 60% of this financial support goes towards furniture, homewares, and other housing costs
Most foster youth do not have access to parental support
- Limited to no financial support from family
- Usually without access to hand-me-down furniture and basic housewares
- Aged-out foster youth are left without the most basic of human rights…a home
Furniture Poverty
- Furniture poverty is defined as the inability to access the basic essential items that a household needs to achieve the most basic quality of living in order to participate in society as employee and/or student.
- Furniture poverty is a further disadvantage to those who are already disenfranchised.
- Empirical evidence in environmental psychology has found that an inhabitant thrives and flourishes in their home when the home reflects their personality and aspirations.
- ASOH has designed and developed its own proprietary cloud-based workflow automation software (the ASOH App) to ensure that excess furniture is distributed to those who need it most.
- Eradicating furniture poverty tips the scales towards equity.
- The ASOH model not only provides the basic necessities for an individual to improve their life, but by creating a total home environment transforms and inspires youth to surpass their goals.
“The Strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home”
– Confucius
OUR WORK
ASOH gathers the least recycled household items – furniture and home goods contributing to a greener environment. Returned products to furniture and home goods stores are often discarded. These quality items become a life-changing gift for former foster youth when installed lovingly by volunteers from the community; transforming the way the youth view themselves as well as those around them.
At the core of our work is the home creation. Empty walls, floors and rooms, once unlivable, are transformed into fully-furnished, functional and beautiful homes in less than two hours by a team of 12-24 volunteers.
By sponsoring home creations, businesses or families give back to the community while providing employees or family members a rewarding and life changing team-building experience. ASOH not only eliminates the financial obstacles of furnishing a home, but also improves the overall well-being of the recipient as well as society overall.
ASOH strives to create a physical home that is the embodiment of the dreams and unique personality of each youth (and their young family) to transform their experience of scarcity and survival to one of comfort and care. Youth who receive a home creation pay-it-forward by partaking as volunteers to create homes for other youth.
© 2023 Copyright A Sense of Home,
A tax exempt charitable organization qualified under
Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.
Tax ID# 47-3814056.
© 2024 Copyright A Sense of Home
Mission - A Sense of Home