Building Community, One Piece at a Time: SUNPAN's Day at the Furniture Bank

Our team spent a morning volunteering with Furniture Bank, supporting their mission to end furniture poverty.

Staff from SUNPAN took part in a community volunteer initiative with Furniture Bank.
Staff from SUNPAN took part in a community volunteer initiative with Furniture Bank.

At SUNPAN, we believe that furniture does more than serve a function. It brings comfort, provides a sense of stability, and helps transform a space into something that feels like home. Having a bed to sleep in, a chair to relax in, or a table to share meals — these are things many of us rarely think twice about. Yet for thousands of households across Canada, they remain out of reach.

Furniture poverty remains a widespread but often overlooked issue. Nearly 5 million people — or 2 million families — live below the poverty line in Canada. Among them, over half a million households rely on social or subsidized housing, where access to basic furnishings isn't guaranteed. For those navigating difficult transitions, the absence of essential items can make it that much harder to settle in and feel at home.

SUNPAN’s team in action at Furniture Bank’s workshop during a recent volunteering event.
SUNPAN’s team in action at Furniture Bank’s workshop during a recent volunteering event.

That reality hit home for us during a recent morning at Furniture Bank. a Toronto-based non-profit that collects and redistributes gently used furniture to individuals and families transitioning out of homelessness, displacement, or crisis. Their mission is straightforward, but its impact is far-reaching: to turn empty housing into homes.


As a team, we stepped away from our desks and into their west-end Toronto warehouse—the hub of their operations—where each item is cleaned, repaired, and prepared for its next chapter. We rolled up our sleeves to disassemble and repackage donated furniture, reupholster worn pieces, and paint benches that needed a second life.


It was hands-on, meaningful work – each task contributing to making someone else’s next chapter a little more comfortable.

SUNPAN volunteers transformed donated pieces into functional furniture for families in need.
SUNPAN volunteers transformed donated pieces into functional furniture for families in need.

Since 2024, SUNPAN volunteers have helped refurbish 81 pieces of furniture, which have gone on to support 57 families transitioning out of crisis.


In the grand scheme of things, what our team did was a modest contribution, but one that reflects a commitment we take seriously — to engage meaningfully with the communities we live and work in.


We’re proud to support Furniture Bank and are grateful for the opportunity to stand behind their mission.

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