Prague is opening a furniture bank to help people in material need

Last week the capital opened its own furniture bank in Prague-Libuš. It will provide furniture and basic household equipment to people in material need. Small donors and companies can donate both unused and used furniture and appliances which they no longer want or have no use for to the central warehouse. All things will be distributed to people in need in the capital city of Prague on the basis of cooperation with social services and social departments of city districts.

If you want to donate, you can either bring the furniture to the main hall in Obrataňská Street, where the furniture bank is located, or the employees of the furniture bank will come to take it with their own vehicle. It is also possible to donate furniture with minor defects to the bank which can be repaired – the bank will have a fully equipped carpentry workshop on the premises. In the future, the bank also wants to offer job opportunities in the carpentry workshop to people with disabilities or those who are difficult to employ in the regular labour market.

The operator of Prague’s furniture bank is the municipal contributory organization Centre of Social Services Prague. The first official partner of the bank is Ikea – it should supply furniture and other household equipment, which, for example, has been slightly damaged during handling and transport. Martin Šimáček, director of the Center for Social Services in Prague, believes that other companies in the field of sales and production of furniture and household equipment will also be involved soon.

“As a city, we want to take care of all the Praguers in need who get into a difficult dilemma: whether to pay the first rent, buy a cot for their children, or buy a stove so they can cook for them. At the same time, we also save things that often end up in a collection yard or a junkyard, and yet they can still serve well.”

says Milena Johnová, the councilor of the City of Prague for the area of social policy.