Our Story

Founded by Janelle Towne, The Home 2 Home Project started. Janelle’s connection with a local homeless shelter revealed the poignant reality of two young girls, aged 13 and 9, living there with their parents. Disturbed by their basic Christmas wishes coupled with the fact that Christmas break was only a couple weeks away and that the shelter only allows them to be there between 7:30pm and 7:30am, and that during this span of time they would be trying to stay warm in a car or fast food restaurant for 12 hours Janelle initiated the “Fill in the Gap” fundraiser, rallying friends to bring gift cards for movie tickets, activities, stores, and restaurants so the children would have something to do and parents would be able to buy gifts for them, we also asked for wrapping paper, and tape. The overwhelming response generated $5200.00 worth of gift cards, providing them and other families at the shelter the means to buy Christmas gifts.

Moved by this experience, Janelle’s dedication deepened in February 2017. Discovering that homeless families transitioning to apartments had only a mattress, she created a Facebook group. Local moms joined the cause, flooding Janelle’s garage with gently used furniture and household items. The first “client move-in” marked a turning point, leading Janelle to envision a larger impact beyond a Facebook page. This marked the beginning of the organizational journey, involving the collection of donations, acquiring storage units, and navigating state and federal processes to establish The Home 2 Home Project as a not-for-profit organization.

Our Mission:

At The Home 2 Home Project, we specialize in collecting gently used furniture and household goods, refurbishing them in the homes of formerly homeless clients transitioning out of shelters. While our primary focus is on women and children who have survived domestic abuse, we extend our support to veterans and those who were once chronically homeless. Our unwavering goal is to take gifts from one home and create a new home for someone else, giving rise to the name “The Home 2 Home Project.”

Consider this statistic: the average person spends $8,176 to furnish a one-bedroom apartment, according to ForRent.com. However, we offer more than just furnishing homes; we empower our clients to regain control by collaborating closely with our interior designers to choose a design of their choice. We help create warm and safe environments for them and their families, enabling them to save thousands on home furnishing and kitchenware items. Most importantly, we support them in taking significant steps forward in their journey to self-sufficiency.

Our Activities:

When we receive a referral from our community partners, we initiate contact with the client and schedule an initial meeting that includes an interior design consultation. Then comes the eagerly awaited #moveinday! This is when we provide the furniture and movers, creating a “home” for our clients before the big reveal.

What began as a child’s one-time service project operating out of a garage has grown and expanded to include over 1500 registered volunteers, 12 partnering agencies, 22 design leaders and a dedicated and committed warehouse team.   The community in which we are situated cares about strengthening those within it by supporting our efforts to create beautiful homes while keeping our landfills free of waste. 

We are proud of the work we are doing to help those emerging out of the cycle of homelessness, yet have also recently expanded our programs to include employment opportunities by partnering with Working Together Chicago. Which has allowed us to hire adults with special needs to work in our warehouse and upscale resale shop, East Vintage Market.

As you explore our website, we invite you to delve deeper into the stories of transformation, browse through our activities, and learn how you can contribute to creating new beginnings for those in need. The Home 2 Home Project is not just an organization; it’s a community-driven force for positive change, one home at a time.

Join us in making a lasting impact. Welcome to The Home 2 Home Project family.