City collects furniture for 7 veterans and families

AUSTIN (KXAN) - After a month of collecting furniture and other household items for Austin’s homeless veterans and their families, city and community volunteers will deliver donated items to seven families Saturday.

In September, city staff began a furniture donation program for Austin’s homeless veterans and their families. It was a joint effort with Mayor Lee Leffingwell, who is a retired Navy veteran, the City of Austin Veterans Affairs Office, AmeriCorps-VetCorps and the Texas Vietnam Veterans Association.

The program provides home furnishings to chronically homeless veterans who are transitioning to permanent housing. These veterans found homes with the assistance from U.S. Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing, which combines Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance for homeless veterans with case management and clinical services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The city of Austin welcomes donations of home furnishings, from silverware and lamps to bedroom or kitchen sets, as long as they are in good condition. Anyone wishing to donate can contact Tina Lee at tina.lee@austintexas.gov or emily.frenzel@austintexas.gov or call 512-974-3306.