A furniture bank is a non-profit organization which collects unwanted furnishings from the general public and provides it to people in need. Typical clients of furniture banks are women and children escaping domestic violence, families below the poverty line, victims of natural disasters, and others requiring emergency assistance. Furniture banks provide basic home furnishings such as beds, a kitchen table, and dishes.

The Help 1 Up program encourages consumers to shop at participating retailers and add 1% to their next furniture purchase. The Help 1 Up program is administered by the National Furniture Bank Association (NFBA).

As a pilot retailer, Circle Furniture will serve a critical role in fine tuning the Help 1 Up program by providing insight to the NFBA prior to national deployment at thousands of retail locations.

Richard Tubman, an owner of Circle Furniture, said the Help 1 Up program is a great way for Circle Furniture to extend their support of community efforts. "Circle Furniture supports a number of local organizations benefiting kids," Tubman said. "Help 1 Up provides us and our customers the opportunity to be a formative part of a national effort which will help thousands of children, in the local area and all across the country."

Each year tens of thousands of people receive donated beds, kitchen tables, dressers, dishes, and utensils from furniture banks. According to a 2004 survey of furniture bank operators, children represent the largest percentage of their service base. The tagline for Help 1 Up is "No child in America should have to sleep on the floor."

"The Help 1 Up program will do a tremendous amount of good for families and kids in need," said Tom Polk, chairman of the NFBA. "At the same time, participating retailers benefit from increased sales and making a positive difference in peoples' lives. Many consumers will be motivated to shop at a participating retailer, rather than a retailer that doesn't wish to support the effort."

About the National Furniture Bank Association (NFBA) The NFBA is the non-profit affiliation of furniture banks. The organization's mission is to create comfortable home environments by providing furnishings to those in need. Contact the NFBA to learn more about the Help 1 Up program, or to find out how retailers can participate. www.help1up.org.