Roche Bobois Donates $700,000 in Furniture to Kristi House And Furnishings For Live Auction
International home furnishings company donated thousands of dollars in furniture to charity rather than selling it during a "warehouse sale."
- Miami, FL (1888PressRelease) November 08, 2013 - International home furnishings company Roche Bobois helped create a comfortable and enduring setting at Kristi House when it recently donated approximately 80 pieces of furniture, with an estimated retail value of $700,000.
Still in their original cartons, the furniture was delivered directly from Roche Bobois' South Florida warehouse to Kristi House, the designated advocacy center for child victims of sexual abuse and exploitation in Miami-Dade County. Some furnishings also went to the non-profit's drop-in center in a different location.
"Kristi House was ready for a refurbishment in its key spaces, so the timing of Roche Bobois' generosity was ideal," said Lauren Harrison Genovese, Kristi House's vice president and co-chair of the Touch a Heart Dinner & Auction, held November 1 in Miami. "We truly appreciate this act of kindness, and the furniture is something our child victims, their families and our employees have welcomed and are enjoying. The furniture is gorgeous and exudes the warm, family-friendly environment that is an important element of the Child Advocacy Center model."
"We preferred to donate this furniture to benefit a worthy cause rather than hold a 'warehouse sale' to benefit the company," explained Roche Bobois' General Manager for the U.S. South East, Julien Bigan. "Most people take their surroundings for granted. Charities such as Kristi House don't. We felt that if we could improve the surroundings for the young victims and uplift their spirits, as well as those who work so hard to help them, then we'd be giving something back to the community."
Planning for the furniture donation began this past August, according to Claudia Pascuali, Roche Bobois' local marketing director. "Our team visited Kristi House, then studied site and floor plans to help with space planning and to determine the function of each area. We spoke to staff members to understand their specific needs, since we wanted to select furnishings that would assist them in doing their jobs. We then found the perfect items, knowing what the end result had to be," she explained. "For example, we wanted to improve the settings for the therapists because we know how emotional their jobs are. We also brought more colorful pieces into areas where the children are, hoping this would brighten their day."
Bigan and Pascuali considered the experience immensely gratifying. "It was heartbreaking to learn and see first hand how troubled these kids are and how abuse affects them. We've heard or read about it, but it wasn't until we went to Kristi House that we truly understood. Though our hearts were filled with sadness, it was very personally rewarding for us to play a helpful role," Pascuali added.
Roche Bobois also donated a grouping of furniture from its Fall 2014 Les Contemporains collection for Kristi House's recent dinner and live auction. With a retail value of more than $20,000, the furnishings caused an exciting "buzz" and sold to the highest bidder, thus contributing to the total dollars raised at the event.
The non-profit Kristi House provides a healing environment for approximately 800 children and teens each year, as well as their families, through prevention, treatment and coordination of services with its community partners. For further information, visit www.kristihouse.org.
Roche Bobois has two Florida locations: Coral Gables and North Palm Beach. Call (305) 444-1138 or (561) 835-4982 respectively. Or visit www.roche-bobois.com.
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