Welcome our new Executive Director, Matt Hoppe!
Please welcome The Furniture Project’s new Executive Director, Matt Hoppe!
Dear Friends and Supporters of The Furniture Project,
It is with great joy and excitement that I share with you that the Board of Directors of The Furniture Project has hired Matt Hoppe to take on the role of Executive Director starting on August 15th , 2022. Matt brings a wealth of experience in the non-profit world, including his previous work at The Nebraska Humane Society, The Women’s Center for Advancement, and most recently he served as the Director of Advancement at Mount Michael Benedictine Abbey and School. Matt brings expertise in the areas of non-profit leadership, fund development, special events and marketing. Matt embodies a passion for our mission of serving our most vulnerable neighbors with dignity, respect, and compassion. He graduated from Creighton University in 2002 with his degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. He and his wife, Michelle, have two children, Sam and Claire. We are thrilled to welcome Matt as our new Executive Director and look forward to working with him as we continue to grow, build and expand our capacity to serve our community.
Sincerely,
Drew Gerken
Founder & Board President
The Furniture Project
Dear Friends and Supporters of the Furniture Project,
I am writing to thank each and every one of you for your generous support of the Furniture Project and me over the past several months:
Our dedicated and inspiring founder, Drew Gerken, and TFP’s Board of Directors
Hannah Vlach-Wyble and her fabulous team at Restoring Dignity Omaha who are wonderful partners in this endeavor
Our 271 dedicated and truly amazing volunteers
Our 866 donors who have given furniture and housewares to share with our neighbors in need
Our over 60 community partner agencies who work each day to assist our neighbors with the various struggles they face and refer them for our services
Our generous financial donors who believe in us and who make our work possible
The people that we serve each day who trust us with their vulnerabilities and knowledge of their needs
I am grateful to all. Together, we have built a web of interconnection and compassion that strengthens our community as we work together to ensure that our most vulnerable neighbors have the basic necessities to live a dignified life and to make a house a home. Over the past 5 months, with your support and our partnership with Restoring Dignity, we have jointly:
Assisted 396 families in need of furniture and housewares
Provided 7,459 furniture items and housewares to families in need, valuing $128,266
Welcomed in 271 unique volunteers who have donated 2,417 hours of their time and talent
Upcycled & repaired approximately 80 pieces of furniture, keeping them out of the landfill
Together, we have done so much good and there is much more that we can and will do.
I am also writing to inform you that due to a new and unexpected opportunity that has been offered to me, I have made the difficult decision to leave my position as Executive Director of The Furniture Project. For me, it has been the honor of a lifetime to be part of such a dynamic, caring and critically important organization. I know that The Furniture Project will continue to grow and thrive, and that our 3-year vision of taking over full operations of the warehouse will be realized, resulting in the creation of a permanent and key piece of infrastructure in our city that will serve our neighbors in need for years to come. My dedication to and support of The Furniture Project will continue as I transition to being a board member where I will remain committed to this organization and its important mission in our community.
Please be assured that The Furniture Project Board of Directors and I, along with our partners at Restoring Dignity, have formed a strong transition plan and that we have no doubt that our new executive director will be well-positioned to move the organization to its next level of growth and success. The future is bright and promising. I look forward to staying connected as a passionate supporter of The Furniture Project with you by our side.
In Gratitude,
Kaela Volkmer, MSW, CSW
Executive Director
The Furniture Project
