Just in time for this coming holiday season, we've created a new opportunity and way for you to give to families in need through our ministry — a live Amazon Wishlist for Fully Furnished Ministries. Simply click on this link to order much needed items and they'll be delivered straight to us! It's a great way to give conveniently to our current needs, as we update the list with "live" needs and great deals on Amazon. Share the link with your friends and family and ask them to consider giving to help fully furnish families this holiday season!
Serving from the heart.
Do you know this man, Nathan King? If you don’t then you should! But as he comes in and serves from the heart throughout the week, you’ll have to seek him out. He moves quickly through the warehouse, getting orders from John, then heading out with a couple of “his guys” to deliver and/or pick up furnishings. There’s a lot more to it though, so read on to hear the full story of Nathan and his time with Fully Furnished Ministries.
Nathan got started with FFM in a very usual way—he showed up one Saturday morning to serve after hearing about it through his men’s discipleship group at Victory Church. At that time, he was mentoring young men, especially young men growing up with single moms and no fathers in their lives, through the ministry he started called For God's Purpose Ministry (FGPM). So he decided to bring those guys along and have them serve alongside him.
Nathan’s ministry, FGPM, continued to grow and expand as he sought to help men and youth in a variety of ways. (We encourage you to read about all that they do on their website: https://www.forgodspurposeministry.com/. ) These men come from all walks of life and are all ages, from young 20s to 60 years old! Nathan shares, “it doesn’t matter the age, if they’re older or younger. They come with the same problem of never having a father in their life.”
As his personal ministry expanded, his involvement with FFM expanded as well. He started bringing these guys out with him regularly on Saturdays and this grew into a day or two during the week. Now, this year, he’s coming out with 2-3 other guys on 4-5 mornings during the week! This has allowed our ministry to expand greatly to be able to go outside of our service area when absolutely necessary.
Nathan is one of our “backbone” volunteers—his selfless service to us and men in our communities is incredible and we are so thankful for him and the ministry he is doing.
I asked Nathan how we can be praying for him and the ministry he’s doing and he shared with me: “We used to have a house for these men that have nowhere to go—coming out of prison or homeless from other situations. We no longer have it but we are looking and praying for God to provide one for us.” Let’s join together and pray for Nathan and this ministry. May God use him greatly as he serves others and serves through Fully Furnished Ministries!
Catch a quick video of Nathan speaking with us here on our Facebook page.
He served, then received.
A man names Jesus (pronounced “hay-sus”) showed up one Saturday morning to serve. We were thrilled to have a Spanish speaker with us and thankful for another volunteer willing to give up time to help others. As he served, we managed to communicate in broken English and broken Spanish with one another and we found out he was from Lugo Alto Church and on the list to receive furniture for his empty apartment. But before receiving his furniture, he wanted to serve other families.
So for two Saturdays in a row, he lifted, loaded, unloaded and delivered furnishings to other families in need and helped pick up furniture donations. On the third Saturday it was his turn to receive. We showed up at his empty apartment where he and a friend were waiting to help, once again. The team unloaded an apartment’s worth of furnishings including 3 bedrooms, a living room and a dining room, with lamps, linens and kitchen items. He was beyond excited and wore a smile on his face the whole time!
As we spoke together in our two languages and some translation throgh another volunteer, we found out that he was coming from Venezuela and had made his way to Atlanta through Miami. He came alone, leaving his wife, siblings and parents behind, in hopes to bring them to join him. They were in dire conditions in Venezuela, where a month of wages will get you $3 and simple medicines can cost you $100—the country is a very difficult place to live.
After he received his papers and found a job, he was able to arrange for his wife, brother and mentally-disabled sister to join him in this apartment he secured. But it had no furnishings and they have little money. So, we were able to jump in and provide for them, just days before his family arrived! He was so grateful.
We are so inspired by people who are willing to serve and volunteer, even when they have nothing. They are willing to give even before they receive! Please continue to pray for him and his family and that his parents will also be able to immigrate.
An Empty Apartment [impact with every interaction]
[Names changed for privacy.]
Meet Anthony and Kiara. They have twin 2-year-old boys and a 4 year-old-boy…that’s a handful. They recently moved to the Atlanta area from New York, via Colorado. They found themselves with only the few belongings they had that fit in the car when they arrived. Through our partner, Frontline Housing (United Way), their needs came to us.
Candace, one of our Needs Assessor volunteers, was assigned this need and gave Kiara a call, as is the usual process. After a few tries with no answer and no space in voicemail, plus unanswered texts, Candace all but gave up on being able to help fulfill this need for this family. Then a few days later while driving, she got an unexpected call back from Kiara. She pulled over and listened.
After hearing about the children, their needs and the difficulties they’ve had, she wrote down the furnishings they needed and asked Kiara if she could pray with her. Over the phone, right then and there, they prayed. The next time Candace came to the warehouse and Kiara was on the list for delivery, she began walking the space to pick out the pieces so needed by this family and these small children: a sofa, coffee table, beds for everyone, chairs, linens…it seemed they had nothing but clothes and car seats.
The following Saturday, our Hearts Team joined the Hands Team on the delivery to Kiara and Anthony. Together, the furnishings were delivered and the personal connection was made. We found out their story and heard some more of their needs that have yet to be filled. We heard about how they had been in this apartment they got through Frontline Housing for 2 weeks but their kids had been staying with family because they had no beds for them (they were coming to the apartment that day to live again with their parents). We talked with them about finding a church and gave them contacts for continued help and connection in the community. We asked them what they needed prayer for and they shared and we prayed. And impact was made at every interaction.
This is one reason we always say, “It’s more than furniture.” Furniture is the temporary need and we fulfill it. But the ultimate need is the gospel…and we live and share it through the furniture. Please join us in praying for this couple and their children.
If you’d like to donate furniture or give financially to help make moments like these possible, visit our homepage. Thank you for being a part of our ministry.
Joy & Serving [impact with every interaction]
Many of you may know this wonderful man, Victor Reed. Victor has been volunteering with Fully Furnished for years and his impact is felt across the many interactions he has with people every week.
He started with our ministry by showing up on a Saturday to move some furniture — as many of you have done over the weeks, months and years. But he found his real niche in serving when he found out about the Restoration Team. Now for months and months, every Tuesday, Victor shows up and helps lead the team in bringing new life to furniture that is broken or worn down. Without a big commotion upon entering or leaving the warehouse, Victor quietly works. And without realizing, he brings Christ’s peace, love and joy.
Anyone there on a Tuesday knows Victor and sees Victor. And although they don’t hear much from Victor, they feel Victor. His steady commitment to serving each and every week, bad knees and all, reminds us all of the importance of giving back to others.
But Victor didn’t stop there — many months ago, he realized that his own church had a moving truck that sat idle a lot of days of the week. After permission from his church, he came to us and asked if we wanted to use it. Knowing our needs were growing beyond Saturdays, he offered to bring the truck over a couple of Fridays a month and drive it to any needed deliveries. And of course we said YES! And thank you!
Now that we have 2 of our own trucks, we shifted our days and Victor now brings it out a Saturday or two per month to give us a much needed third truck. Victor’s commitment to serving and willingness to create a partnership for us with his church is impacting more people than we will ever know. Every piece he helps restore will bring more joy and love to a family in need, showing how much others care for them, because of Christ’s love. Every time he brings that truck over and drives it, more and more families are able to be served and their lives will be forever changed as they step out of poverty and into a fuller life.
Take a few minutes and hear from Victor in this video. Hear about why he serves and finds joy in his weekly volunteering with FFM, and oh so much more. You don’t want to miss these 3 minutes of Victor and his nuggets of wisdom amidst a spirit of peace. Watch here.
If you’d like to volunteer, then we know we can find the perfect spot for you to serve using your specific gifts, talents and passions. Find out more here.
Not Just Any Group [impact with every interaction]
What a group! This group of 20-25 men are truly making an impact with every interaction they make at FFM…with one another, with volunteers, with recipient families, and even with our checking account! And here’s how:
Every Wednesday night, this awesome group of men, mostly from Victory Church, come together at our FFM warehouse to share food, fellowship and studying of the Word. Yep, they use our space, and no, we don’t just do that for any and every Bible study group. BUT these guys are not just any group.
The last Saturday or every month, this group of men come out and serve our families. They show up at 7:30am and load up, drive out and deliver much needed furnishings to families all over town. They follow this with picking up items from donors, taking them back to the warehouse and unloading. By 12:30/1pm they leave having made a huge impact.
But they don’t stop there. They worked out a cool partnership with another ministry they volunteer through, to provide us with incredible food boxes for that Saturday. So, they show up that day with food boxes in hand to bless those 4-6 recipient families for that day. We don’t usually provide food to anyone, but these guys wanted to surprise those families on their serve Saturday with this extra blessing of love and provision from the Lord. And those food boxes are making a huge impact.
But they don’t stop there. As a group, they collect funds and put them into one pot to divide among different community causes, needs and ministries. They agreed as a group to commit, and have been giving to Fully Furnished Ministries, a monthly financial contribution. And those dollars are making a huge impact.
These guys are no freeloaders. They are volunteers and donors. They are men of word and deed. They are choosing to make an impact with every interaction and opportunity. If you see one of them out on a Saturday, be sure to ask them about the many other ministries and organizations they are helping and contributing to — and pray for them. We need more men’s groups like these, impacting lives for the Lord.
If you’d like to give of your time, talents or treasure, then we would be blessed! Click here for more info on giving financially and serving by volunteering with us.
Recovering & Serving Simultaneously [impact with every interaction]
Meet Jeremy Mitchell (left) and TJ Burras (right). They work with His Way, a Christ-centered recovery program for men based in Huntsville, Alabama. As they expanded to Atlanta over the summer, we connected with them to see how we could partner together. And it turned out to be an incredible opportunity for impact at every interaction.
Our first step was bringing them items to furnish their recovery rooms. During their 6-month program, their duplexes house men for the first 30 days, where they have a daily regimen of recovery classes, Bible classes, counseling sessions, and afternoon work/serving. As we delivered beds, dressers and bedside tables to their new housing, we discovered another way to partner together. Their men needed a place to serve in the community as part of their recovery program.
These men now come to our warehouse twice a week to volunteer. Led by James West, they show up each time with great attitudes and a willingness to serve. The incredible part of this is, not only are they helping us and giving us free labor, we are watching them experience God’s healing in their lives as they serve the community in this way — doing something unselfish, and understanding their role in a connected community.
It’s also been a joy to watch James connecting with these men week after week. They look forward to the time they get to spend with him and they relish the minutes they sit together at the end of their shifts, as James pours into their hearts and lives. This is a rippling life impact as they recover and heal and reconnect with their wives and children, moms and dads, and others — building their lives back in a healthy way and God truly restoring their families and futures.
Join with us in praying for His Way ministry, the men in the program, their families, and that every hour they spend with FFM will help them in their journey of healing and wholeness in Christ.
If you know of an organization or church that may want to partner with us in giving, serving or bringing us families in need, please contact us here.
It's more than furniture!
FFM is about more than furniture. We are about living the gospel through furniture. That has looked different over the years through our growth and how God has used us in the community. But one thing has never changed — our passionate desire for furniture to become a blessing and bring about dignified living for families in need.
Watch our brand new video to hear how this looks in 2021 and how FFM brings partners, churches and volunteers together to serve the community for the sake of the gospel.
We love our volunteers!
We had a great time at our Volunteer Appreciation Cookout! We love our volunteers and wanted to just do something to say “Thanks” to them. We had a tons of fun fellowship and great food.
A big thanks to Vanessa Lundy for planning and hosting a great time for everyone. Check out this video clip of the cookout (on Facebook) and be sure to watch until the end to see who won the game of tug of war!
Ms. Turner's Story [it all belongs to God]
Ever wonder what REALLY happens to your donated furniture once FFM picks it up? As you probably already know, we in turn give it to a family in need. But what does that really mean? They are often with little to no furniture for a matrix of reasons. Divorce, domestic violence, loss of everything in a flood, fire, or even mold, just to name a few. Sometimes its grandmothers simply stepping in to save their grandchildren.
“It all belongs to God…We’re just redistributing what’s His. ”
On June 25th, because of your faithfulness to give, we were able to bless five families with furniture. Remember, we don’t purchase any furniture. We take your donated furniture and “redistribute” what belongs to God “to the least of these.”
Meet Ms. Turner (name changed for privacy).
Ms. Turner is a grandmother who recently gained custody of her grandchildren and is going through the DFCS process. She needed some items urgently to be a qualified custodian. With the items we delivered today (bunk beds and dressers) they can sleep comfortably and gain permission to stay with their grandmother during this stressful time.
Every piece of furniture donated and every dollar given leads to a unique story of people impacting people. Thank you for your donations of every kind!
To find out more about how to donate to our [more] people campaign to help hire part time staff for us to increase our impact, click here.