Make A Home Foundation's Amazing Thrift Store Opens

On June 19, the non-profit Make A Home Foundation Inc., (MAHF) at 23 Commercial Street in Waterbury hosted an Informational Breakfast for community and business leaders in the Greater Waterbury political, business, non-profit and religious arenas. Speakers at the breakfast included Sherri Vogt of Veterans Outreach; and the Office of Congresswoman Elizabeth H. Esty. Attendees learned about MAHF’s mission to raise funds to help veterans and their families who are in crisis by providing them with free gently-used furniture and household items (www.mahfct.org).

MAHF President and Co-Founder Anita Pettengill stated, “Our mission is to support at-risk individuals by helping them ‘Make A Home’ for themselves. We provide household furnishings and goods to Veterans, victims of natural disasters such as fires and crisis, parent and child escaping from domestic violence, poor and homeless people, individuals transitioning out of shelters and halfway houses. It’s our experience that these much-needed basic provisions help to bring dignity and self-respect to these individuals and their families, and helps promote their success as they begin their new lives. This program also reduces the environmental footprint by redistributing furnishings that would otherwise land in local landfills.”

Founded in 2010 in Newtown, Make A Home Foundation moved to Waterbury in January 2014 and opened their 40,000 square foot Amazing Thrift Store in May. MAHF accomplishes their goals through sales of household goods in their Amazing Thrift Store, donated financial support from the community at large, corporate and personal sponsorships, grants and private tax-deductible donations. Located at 23 Commercial Street in Waterbury, the Amazing Thrift Store is open daily to the general public Mondays through Saturdays 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. 

“At the breakfast,” stated Pettengill, “we told people how we help veterans and their families, and how we can help each other and the greater community. MAHF is dependent on community awareness to increase sales in our thrift store and monetary donations to sustain our mission. We want the general public to know about our enormous inventory of gently-used household furnishings and goods that we sell in our thrift store. We also want them to know that we collect gently-used household furnishings and accessories, including appliances and electronics, and deliver them to veterans, families and individuals in need who have been pre-qualified by cooperative social and community service agencies across Connecticut.”

There are approximately 58,000 homeless Veterans across the United States. Pettengill added, “Once they are provided with housing by the U.S. Government they need to secure their own furnishings. They need community agencies and groups like us, and Americans at large, to help them ‘Make A Home’ for themselves. We are one resource for them to secure what they need and we help all veterans across Connecticut.”

Make a Home Foundation Inc. is an independent 501(c) (3) that houses their Amazing Thrift Store which is open to veterans and the general public and sells quality household items at significantly discounted prices. The MAHF Amazing Thrift Store offers a 20% discount to all Veterans and First Responders with proper ID.

For more information, and to provide a tax-deductible donation or to volunteer to the MAHF, contact Anita Pettengill at anita@mahfct.org or call 203-270-5501x303. To learn more, visit www.MAHFCT.ORG.