Update 3/9/18 – A new “Humble Design – Fueled by U-Haul” chapter is now open in Seattle. It’s the partnership’s third location since launching last year. Its other two chapters are in Chicago and Detroit.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on March 2 at the warehouse where donated furnishings will be stored. The property at 3235 16th Ave. S.W., owned by King County, is on Harbor Island, an artificial island in the mouth of Seattle’s Duwamish Waterway. Humble Design will be ready to receive donations by the end of April, according to a press release.

Tia Chang, the site manager, was formerly employed by a Seattle law firm and holds a degree in sociology from American University. She’ll work with Mary’s Place, an emergency shelter for homeless families, to identify families in need of services. Humble Design Seattle will begin by helping one family each week, with the goal of assisting three families per week.

The Seattle expansion was made possible through the ongoing cooperation and commitment of city and King County officials, Microsoft Corp. and the Schultz Family Foundation, the release stated. The partnership is encouraging Seattle-area companies to sign up for group volunteer days to decorate a home or sponsor a family.

“As Humble Design expands nationally, we look to cities like Seattle that are innovators in implementing new solutions for an overwhelmingly growing population of fragile individuals,” said Strasberg, who formally introduced the new chapter yesterday at the “Be Bold Seattle” event celebrating International Women's Day. “All of the companies and groups that have come together to make this happen are hugely impacting the lives of those touched by hard times.”

The donations included a $150,000 grant from the Schultz Family Foundation. “The Schultz Family Foundation is proud to partner with Humble Design as they launch in Seattle/King County,” said Daniel Pitasky, executive director for the foundation. “Humble Design is a complement to the Schultz Family Foundation’s interest in permanent housing solutions. Their program offers stability and dignity to families in transition, as well as the opportunity for members of the community to better understand and support these families.”

In addition, the support of Microsoft employees, combined with matching funds from the company, generated early momentum, financing and community support to expand into the Puget Sound region, the release stated.

“Our employees are determined to do their part to help children and families in our region have beds to sleep in and roofs over their heads,” said Karen Bergin, director of employee engagement at Microsoft Philanthropies. “They've helped blaze the trail into Seattle for Humble Design, an organization that has provided a sense of security and dignity to formerly homeless families in Detroit and Chicago.”

Chapters in additional cities, including San Diego, are in the planning phases. Since beginning its philanthropic mission in 2009, Humble Design has now helped more than 900 families. It hopes to assist more than 1,000 families by the end of this year, the release stated.

“Our shared ideals to help people meet their basic human needs make Humble Design and U-Haul effective partners,” said Kim Merow, president of the U-Haul Co. of South Seattle. “There is a collective passion to make a genuine difference in Seattle while fighting the epidemic of homelessness. We’re truly honored to be a part of this affiliation and expansion into King County.”

3/27/17 –  Phoenix-based U-Haul International Inc., which operates more than 1,300 self-storage locations across North America, is partnering with Humble Design, a nonprofit that provides home furnishings to people transitioning out of homelessness, to extend its services into nine new markets by 2020. U-Haul will provide space to store donations as well as the use of its moving trucks. It will also offer grants and company volunteers, according to the source.

“Humble Design – Fueled by U-Haul” furnished a home in its first new market, Chicago, earlier this month. The partnership plans to expand soon to Seattle. Other markets with significant homeless populations that are being considered include Boston, New York and Philadelphia, the source reported.

U-Haul has offered the nonprofit 50,000 square feet of storage space at its facility in Bridgeport, Ill. It also plans to provide 15,000 square feet of space at its facility in Dearborn, Mich., which is under development. Humble Design, which currently has a warehouse in Pontiac, Mich., intends to raise $238,000 to cover the build-out of the new satellite interior as well as to fund staffing, which will include a director, warehouse manager, designers and on-staff movers.

Partnering with the nonprofit is "a vote of faith in their mission and ability to serve this overlooked need in the community," said Sebastien Reyes, director of external communications for U-Haul.

Founded in 2009 by Ana Smith and Treger Strasberg, Humble Design assists families in leaving homeless and abuse shelters by providing in-person design consulting and repurposing gently used décor and furnishings. It works with eight area shelters and agencies to identify families in need. The organization has helped 660 families since its launch, according to its website.

Established in 1945, U-Haul International Inc. has more than 44 million square feet of storage space at more than 1,200 owned facilities throughout North America.

Sources:
Crain's Detroit Business, Humble Design, U-Haul Expand Program to Help Homeless Into New Markets
Humble Design, Website
PR Newswire, Fighting Homelessness: Charity Humble Design Expands to Seattle