House to Home
Turn a house into a home
Our flagship program “From House to Home“ furnishes homes for refugees and asylum seekers, survivors of domestic violence, those who have been homeless and others most in need in our community. We do this according to individual needs and preferences by facilitating the re-homing of household goods, furniture and appliances, and help turn a ‘house’ into a ‘home.’
The House to Home program is a win for the environment, a win for the community and a cost saving for the Government.
The Bower partners with humanitarian service organisations in identifying the needs of refugees, survivors of domestic violence and those previously homeless to outfit their accommodation for household items. Caseworkers from these service organisations refer asylum seekers and survivors of domestic violence to the Bower stores with a “gift certificate” to select and collect at no cost the items that suit their individual needs and preferences. The Bower will source, collect and deliver those items at no cost to the individuals.
Since its inception in September 2016, and thanks to financial support from foundations and our supporters, the Bower has been able to help many hundreds of individuals and households to make their houses functional. It allows children to go to schools and parent/s to seek employment it encourages independent living to allow people who have often come from very difficult circumstances to move forward with their lives. To equip one household with items such as beds, tables and chairs, a refrigerator and kitchen equipment averages around $1000-1500 depending on the size of the family and their needs.
Based on the average price for goods in our store we can furnish a full house for a family for $1000 or up to $1500 depending on the size of the family– see breakdown of prices below.
| ITEM | COST |
|---|---|
| Dining table + 4 chairs | $100 – $250 |
| Sofa + 2 armchairs (family) | $150 – $300 |
| Sofa (individual) | $100 – $150 |
| Coffee table | $30 – $50 |
| Kitchen hutch or entertainment unit | $80 – $200 |
| Kitchenalia (crockery, cutlery, pots and pans) | $30 – $100 |
| Fridge | $150 – $250 |
| 3 x small electricals (e.g. toaster, lamp, kettle) | $50 – $75 |
| TV unit | $50 – $100 |
| Tallboy or bedroom drawers unit | $100 – $200 |
| Cupboard or Wardrobe | $100 – $250 |
| Dresser with mirror | $70 – $150 |
| 1 x bed plus bedside table (excludes mattress) | $100 – $250 |
Subsidised Goods Fund
In addition to the partnerships with humanitarian organisations the Bower has also established a ‘Subsidised Goods Program’ whereby the Bower covers the entire cost to assist individuals who are neither a refugee nor a survivor of domestic violence but still need access to household goods.
For more information contact info@bower.org.au
Partnerships
The Bower has established partnerships with the following organisations:
Jesuit Refugee Service, Neami, Life Without Barriers, Parramatta Women’s Shelter, National Immigration Support Service, Bonnie Support Services, Uniting, Connect Marrickville, 100 Women.
