The old furnishings recently found a new purpose. Mercy Medical Center donated more than 400 items from the legacy site to a Cedar Rapids-based nonprofit that collects quality, reusable furniture and household goods to give to people who are transitioning from homelessness into housing stability.
Beginning June 4, the KJ Haul Away waste removal company began transporting the hundreds of items that Mercy is giving to Central Furniture Rescue. In phases, Mercy is donating nightstands, end tables, chairs, couches, desks, chairs, lamps, mattresses, lift recliner chairs, artwork and other household goods to the nonprofit.
Central Furniture Rescue is receiving the furnishings at its warehouse where the organization is preparing the items for local families to have at no cost for when they move into new housing. People who are moving toward stable housing receive referrals to Central Furniture Rescue from a variety of Eastern Iowa partner organizations, including shelters, case management organizations, recovery programs, refugee agencies, veterans' programs and housing organizations.
The furniture is from a residential care facility that Mercy closed when it opened the HallMar Village replacement site in suburban Cedar Rapids. Mercy formed a joint ownership arrangement with Roseville, Minnesota-based Presbyterian Homes & Services on the $96 million continuum-of-care campus that opened in 2023. That campus has more capacity, more levels of care and more amenities than the legacy site.
Melissa Dean, Mercy director of mission outreach and community benefit, said in a release that Mercy is "grateful to partner with Central Furniture Rescue and KJ Haul Away to ensure these items can be repurposed. It's rewarding to know that furnishings that once served our residents can now help individuals and families throughout our community."
Susan Johnston, founder of Central Furniture Rescue, said in the release that "this partnership shows how sustainability and community impact can work hand in hand. Furnishings that no longer serve the facility can make a meaningful difference for families rebuilding their lives."
Central Furniture Rescue estimates Mercy's donation will help as many as 65 families. The organization said 11 to 14 tons of material was diverted from disposal in a landfill.
Central Furniture Rescue leadership said the partnership is "helping turn empty spaces into homes while also protecting our environment through reuse and sustainability."