CEDAR BLUFF, Va. -Blackberry Winter was started by a traveling nurse who wanted to create a way for people to donate their good condition furniture to those who need them. Around half a decade later, they have furnished seven hundred homes, helping people rebuild their lives after fires, escaping domestic abuse, and more.
“The used, good quality furniture is here. The need is here. Blackberry Winter bridges that gap. And it’s a very simple idea. Every region, every community needs a Blackberry Winter because I’m a firm believer in the excess of each community will meet the need for that community,” says Teri Crawford-Brown, the president, founder, and CEO of Blackberry Winter.
However, Hurricane Helene has brought another reason for the community to rely on Blackberry Winter, with the resulting winds and floods leaving many families picking up the pieces. Crawford-Brown says the need for these resources is “huge.”
“Most of their homeowners insurance did not cover this; it was a natural disaster, which, a lot of times, there’s clauses that say they don’t cover it. A lot of the people we have furnished for were renters, and they had to find a new home. A lot of them were mobile homes that a tree just devastated the home…” says Crawford-Brown.
They plan to help some of these storm survivors and other homes in need with a “hand up” event on January 10th, but they would like help themselves, needing ten to fifteen more volunteers to move everything into place.
Crawford-Brown encourages people to join them at their storage unit in Cedar Bluff, adding even if you can’t lift furniture, you can still help with smaller jobs as well… or donate some items yourself.
If you would like to help out in any way, you can go to the Blackberry Winter website to find out how to download the “team reach” app to register to volunteer. Again, this hand up event will be held in Cedar Bluff on Friday, January 10th.
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