Recent regional data showed homelessness declined by 19% in 2026, with 293 individuals moving into housing through expanded housing programs and affordable housing initiatives. As more people transition into permanent housing, the need for essential household furnishings has grown alongside them.
Furnish Hope, a Central Oregon nonprofit, is the only furniture bank serving the tri-county area. Since opening in 2019, the organization has helped furnish more than 3,000 homes in the community by providing dressers, beds, tables and other household essentials to individuals and families in times of need. With 200 volunteers and nine full time staff, Furnish Hope is helping transform living spaces into comfortable, functional homes. Now, Furnish Hope is positioned to expand its impact even further. The organization’s new facility will provide 4.4 times more space to serve the Central Oregon community.
With construction underway, Furnish Hope is entering the public phase of a $2 million capital campaign aimed at transforming a nearly 100-year-old historic Bend building into the organization’s permanent home. This means an expansion from a 5,000-square-foot traditional warehouse to 22,000 square feet of inviting space. Set for a more relational guest experience, individuals and families can browse the store, choose their pieces and plan their home with Furnish Hope volunteers; childcare provided. Moreover, Furnish Hope plans to add a bonus area for everyday essentials and a common area to be shared with other nonprofits in Central Oregon.
“We’ve been dreaming about a space that would be beautiful and that would speak of people’s dignity and their worth…reminding them that they are not getting the leftovers…and that they can have a beautiful home,” Megan Martin, Executive Director and Founder of Furnish Hope, told the Source.
The new space is designed around the idea of choice. Besides providing furniture, Furnish Hope wants to create an experience that emphasizes agency and dignity.
As Martin envisions the organization’s future, she hopes to create an environment where people have “a reminder of their identity, that they are uniquely designed and that they do have choice.”
Furnish Hope’s goal is to become more than a one-time interaction, aiming at fostering long term relationships with their clients. “People need people in their lives,” said Martin, “so how do we create those connecting points?”
The new space is expected to open in the spring of 2027 on NE 2nd and Dekalb next to the Bi-Mart and will allow Furnish Hope to serve up to 700 households annually. The organization invites community members to get involved by donating gently used furniture, contributing financially to its mission, volunteering their time or visiting the new facility once it opens. Martin emphasizes that everyone has a role to play in bringing hope and stability to their neighbors.
Community members can visit Furnish Hope at the Central District Block Party on June 27 or go to its website at furnishhope.com.
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